Why Sam Altman deleted his TikTok account
What's the story
OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, has opened up about his short-lived addiction to TikTok. The revelation came during a recent episode of the How to Start a Startup podcast. Altman said he got hooked on the app while working on Sora, an AI video app that was seen as potential competition for TikTok and Instagram. However, OpenAI decided to shut it down earlier this year as part of its pre-IPO strategy.
User experience
Altman's 'addiction' to TikTok
Altman explained that he used TikTok to understand what kind of user experience he didn't want to create with Sora.
He said, "When we were building the Sora app, I made myself get addicted to TikTok because I wanted to learn."
The OpenAI chief admitted that he had never really used the app before and didn't want to create something that would absorb people's time.
Addiction battle
'I was on the couch for 3 hours'
Altman also shared how his initial 10-minute sessions on TikTok before bed turned into hours-long scrolls.
He recalled one Saturday afternoon when he spent nearly three hours on the app before realizing it had become a problem.
"And then I thought I could control it... And then it was like an hour one night, and then some Saturday afternoon I was on the couch for like three hours," Altman said.
Digital detox
How he kicked the habit
Despite managing to limit his TikTok use to five to 10 minutes a night, Altman eventually had to delete the app altogether.
He also revealed that he has turned off all notifications on his phone, including those from messaging apps.
"It's a big life upgrade," he said of the change.