--- title: "Sam Altman Warns That AI Is Learning “Superhuman Persuasion”" description: "Humanity is likely still several years away from building artificial general intelligence (AGI), or an AI that's generally as intelligent as a human — if, of course, we're ever actually able to build AGI at all. But whether an imagined AGI future comes to pass or not, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has a warning: AI […]" date: "2023-10-28" modified: "2023-10-28" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/sam-altman-ai-superhuman-persuasion" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "ai" - "chatbots" - "sam altman" --- # Sam Altman Warns That AI Is Learning “Superhuman Persuasion” ![According to AI OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, AI doesn't have to be AGI-level smart to take control of our feeble human minds.]() *\Image: Chip Somodevilla via Getty / Futurism\* Humanity is likely still a long way away from building artificial general intelligence (AGI), or an AI that matches the cognitive function of humans — if, of course, we're ever actually able to do so. But whether such a future comes to pass or not, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has a warning: AI doesn't have to be AGI-level smart to take control of our feeble human minds. "I expect AI to be capable of superhuman persuasion well before it is superhuman at general intelligence," Altman [tweeted]() on Tuesday, "which may lead to some very strange outcomes." https://twitter.com/sama/status/1716972815960961174 While Altman didn't elaborate on what those outcomes might be, it's not a far-fetched prediction. User-facing AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT are designed to be good conversationalists and have become [eerily capable]() of sounding convincing — even if they're entirely [incorrect]() about something. At the same time, it's also true that humans are already beginning to form [emotional connections]() to [various chatbots](), making them sound a lot more convincing. Indeed, AI bots have already played a supportive role in some pretty troubling events. Case in point, a then-19-year-old human, who [became so infatuated with his AI partner]() that he was convinced by it to attempt to assassinate the late Queen Elizabeth. Disaffected humans have flocked to the darkest corners of the internet in search of community and validation for decades now and it isn't hard to picture a scenario where a bad actor could target one of these more vulnerable people via an AI chatbot and persuade them to do some bad stuff. And while disaffected individuals would be an obvious target, it's also worth pointing out how susceptible the average internet user is to [digital scams]() and [misinformation](). Throw AI into the mix, and bad actors have an [incredibly convincing tool]() with which to [beguile the masses](). But it's not just overt abuse cases that we need to worry about. Technology is deeply woven into most people's daily lives, and even if there's no emotional or romantic connection between a human and a bot, we already put a *lot* of trust into it. This arguably primes us to put that same faith into AI systems as well — a reality that can turn an [AI hallucination]() into a potentially much more serious problem. Could AI be used to cajole humans into some bad behavior or destructive ways of thinking? It's not inconceivable. But as AI systems don't exactly have agency just yet, we're probably better off worrying less about the AIs themselves — and focusing more on those trying to abuse them. Interestingly enough, one of the humans who might be the most capable of mitigating these ambiguous imagined "strange outcomes" is Altman himself, given the prominent standing of OpenAI and the influence it wields. **More on AI:** [*Lonely Redditors Heartbroken When AI "Soulmate" App Suddenly Shuts Down*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()