Sam Altman Fires Back at Elon Musk Over ChatGPT Death Remarks; OpenAI CEO Says Tesla Autopilot Resulted in 50 Deaths and Says He Won’t Start on Grok
Sam Altman criticised Elon Musk for warning people against ChatGPT after reports linking the chatbot to deaths and alleged suicides. Altman said OpenAI carries huge responsibility to protect vulnerable users, while enabling broad access, and countered by citing over 50 deaths linked to Tesla Autopilot, also criticising Musk’s Grok decisions publicly.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has criticised Elon Musk’s remark about not using ChatGPT. Referring to reports of nine deaths allegedly caused by the AI chatbot, along with five alleged suicides involving teens and adults, Elon Musk said, “Don’t let your loved ones use ChatGPT.” Sam Altman hit back, saying, “Sometimes you complain about ChatGPT being too restrictive, and then in cases like this you claim it is too relaxed. Almost a billion people use it, and some of them may be in very fragile mental states.” The OpenAI CEO further said that the company was working on the issue and felt a huge responsibility. He added that the tragic incidents deserved to be treated with respect. Altman said that protecting vulnerable users while enabling broad benefit is difficult, citing over 50 Autopilot-linked deaths, calling Tesla’s release unsafe, criticising Grok decisions, and remarking that accusations often mirror confessions. Elon Musk Criticises Sam Altman Over OpenAI Compensation, Says ‘What a Liar’.
Sam Altman Takes on Elon Musk Over ChatGPT Death Remarks
Sometimes you complain about ChatGPT being too restrictive, and then in cases like this you claim it's too relaxed. Almost a billion people use it and some of them may be in very fragile mental states. We will continue to do our best to get this right and we feel huge… https://t.co/U6r03nsHzg
— Sam Altman (@sama) January 20, 2026
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 21, 2026 07:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
