AI Nanny? OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Confesses Using ChatGPT to Master Newborn Parenting

The future of parenting may have just been redefined, and it looks a lot like a chatbot. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, ignited a firestorm of discussion across social media this week after he publicly confessed to relying extensively on ChatGPT to navigate the early months of raising his newborn. Speaking on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Altman described the artificial intelligence tool, which his company created, as “almost like a third parent” to his now 9-month-old toddler.

He candidly admitted, “I cannot imagine having gone through figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT. Clearly, people did it for a long time, but it’s no problem.” Altman and his husband, Oliver Mulherin, welcomed a baby boy in February, and like any new parent, the technological visionary was overwhelmed with questions. But his reliance on AI for answers has drawn both widespread amusement and serious philosophical criticism about the erosion of human intuition.

The Crisis in the Bathroom: AI as a Safety Net

Altman offered humorous examples of the “random” questions he found himself asking the chatbot, ranging from toddler behavior (“Why does my kid drop pizza on the floor and laugh?”) to critical developmental concerns. One moment that captured the public imagination involved a panic-inducing conversation at a party. After hearing another parent mention their six-month-old was already crawling, Altman immediately fled the room. “I panicked, ran to the bathroom, and typed into ChatGPT: ‘Do I need to take my kid to the doctor tomorrow morning? Is my kid’s development normal?'” The chatbot quickly reassured him that his baby was “perfectly normal.” According to Altman, the AI then offered a surprisingly personal piece of life advice: “You’re the CEO of OpenAI. You’re around high achieving people. Maybe don’t project that onto your kid. Relax.” This interaction cemented the chatbot’s role in the Altman-Mulherin household as more than just an information source—it functioned as an emotional regulator and parenting coach.

Social Media Erupts: Scorn, Support, and Stunted Perspectives

Altman’s candid confession immediately sent social media into a frenzy, exposing a sharp divide between those who embrace AI as the ultimate life tool and those who view it as a terrifying replacement for natural human connection. The loudest critiques centered on the perceived “stunted perspective” of needing a machine to perform the most basic human task. One user sarcastically questioned why Altman required ChatGPT to do something “that has been done for all of human time,” while another pointed out the “staggering 120 billion babies born pre-AI,” mocking the idea that the task was suddenly impossible. The criticism took a serious, philosophical turn as users labeled Altman’s comments as “terrifying,” suggesting that “human qualities are being eroded” when technology replaces natural instinct. There was also a lighthearted layer of mockery, with people asking if the baby itself was the intended “target user” since the chatbot “is always acting like a nanny.”

Despite the scorn, a significant portion of the internet voiced support, seeing Altman’s experience as a relatable reflection of modern life under the pressure of information overload. One user chimed in: “Sounds ridiculous, but I get it. I can’t imagine life without Google Maps.” This comparison reframed AI not as a replacement for parenting, but as a critical navigation tool for life’s most overwhelming territory. Others saw it as a straightforward sign of the times, emphasizing how crucial on-demand, non-judgemental AI advice can be in an age where traditional support networks (like extended family) are often geographically distant.

Altman’s AI Future: Raising the First Generation of the ‘AI World’

Altman himself used the conversation to segue into his views on AI’s unavoidable role in the future, suggesting his reliance on ChatGPT is merely an early preview of what’s to come. He reportedly reflected on how becoming a parent reshaped his view of AI’s future role, emphasizing that his child belongs to a new generation: “My kid is never going to be smarter than AI. Children in the future will only know a world with AI in it.” This statement implies that learning to collaborate and rely on AI is not a failure of human instinct, but a necessary survival skill for the children of the 21st century.

The Real Question: Gut Feelings vs. Gadgets

The media spectacle surrounding Altman’s admission has raised fundamental questions about the direction of society. Is this Parenting 2.0? Modern parents once looked to grandparents, doctors, or pediatricians for guidance. Today, they can open their phones and get instant, aggregated advice from an AI. Is this efficiency, or is it sacrificing wisdom for speed? Some critics also speculate whether, in a market saturated with competing chatbots (like Gemini, Grok, or DeepSeek), Altman’s confession is merely a calculated marketing ploy—a “massive publicity stunt”—designed to keep OpenAI in the public spotlight by linking its product to the universally relatable topic of babies. Ultimately, the real question behind the noise and the debate over corporate genius or dramatic CEO is: Are we, as humans, still trusting our gut feelings, or are we relying too much on gadgets and AI for the most intrinsic decisions of everyday life? Sam Altman may have found his “third parent,” but the world is still deciding if that parent is a helpful guide or a dangerous crutch.