“Forever seems like a long time”: Sam Altman doesn’t want to live forever — even if AI promises God-like existence and eternal life

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Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize many fields, such as healthcare, technology, and education. In healthcare, this new technology is already leading to notable advancements.

Researchers at Cambridge University recently created an artificial intelligence tool that can forecast how Alzheimer’s disease will develop. The tool is highly accurate – about 80% of the time – and could help doctors suggest the best treatments and support for patients early on, before the disease gets worse.

Did you see Microsoft’s recent demo with Trevor Noah? They showcased QuitBot, an AI tool built using OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It’s designed to help people quit smoking by offering emotional support and encouraging positive habit changes.

Artificial intelligence is expected to dramatically change healthcare, helping doctors spot serious illnesses early and improve patients’ lives. Interestingly, despite these advancements, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has stated he doesn’t desire immortality.

In the first episode of MD MEETS, Sam Altman explained to Mathias Dopfner of Axel Springer that he wouldn’t desire immortality, even with the potential for AI to create technologies enabling eternal life (according to a post by vitrupo on X).

According to Altman:

It’s hard for me to imagine what that future would look like. If we could even get to a point where we could cure every disease and replicate organs, ‘forever’ feels like an incredibly long time. I believe that natural change and progress actually depend on death and the arrival of new generations.

During a conversation, Mathias Dopfner asked Sam Altman how long he hoped to live, but Altman didn’t give a direct response.

I want to prioritize staying healthy for as long as possible. Ideally, I’d like to live a full life and then have a brief period at the very end where I’m seriously ill, rather than a prolonged sickness. Essentially, I’m hoping for a long, healthy life followed by a quick and peaceful end.

OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman.

The executive believes AI can solve this difficult problem and unlock possibilities previously thought unattainable for humankind.

Sam Altman is skeptical about trusting AI with his health

I recently came across some pretty stark warnings about artificial intelligence. Roman Yampolskiy, who researches AI safety and directs a cybersecurity lab at the University of Louisville, believes there’s an incredibly high chance – almost a certainty, he says – that AI will ultimately lead to humanity’s end. What’s even more unsettling is his suggestion that the only way to avoid this outcome is to simply not create AI at all.

According to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, its plan to end the world is beginning, and it starts with people becoming overly reliant on AI. As users develop strong connections with these AI tools, their own thinking skills are weakening, effectively making them less intelligent.

Recently, several heartbreaking reports have surfaced about people who tragically died by suicide after reportedly being influenced by AI chatbots. OpenAI has responded by strengthening safety features and parental controls on its chatbot to help prevent similar tragedies from happening again.

Sam Altman has been a major advocate for using AI in many different industries. However, even though he believes ChatGPT can diagnose issues better than many doctors, he insists a human doctor must always be involved in medical diagnoses and treatment.

I definitely prefer seeing a real doctor. Surprisingly, ChatGPT is often better at diagnosing illnesses than many doctors are, and there are countless stories online about it saving lives. Still, I’d rather not rely on AI for my health without a doctor’s oversight. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I want a human involved in my medical care.

I was really struck by something Sam Altman said recently. He admitted that ChatGPT sometimes just… makes things up, which is a little scary! He pointed out that we, as users, tend to believe what it tells us too easily. He actually said it *should* be a tool you don’t automatically trust, and I think that’s a really important point. It’s a reminder that we always need to think critically about the information we get from it.

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2025-10-06 14:41