Sam Altman feels ‘useless’ after using GPT-5, says AI’s power is unsettling

Artificial intelligence is advancing at breakneck speed, and even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admits the latest developments are starting to unsettle him. Speaking on comedian Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast, Altman revealed that using the upcoming GPT-5 model left him feeling “useless” in comparison to the AI’s capabilities. He shared an incident where he input a complex email query into GPT-5—one he himself didn’t fully understand—and the model responded instantly and perfectly. “It was a weird feeling,” Altman said, describing the experience as a stark reminder of how far AI has come.

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While OpenAI hasn’t officially released GPT-5 yet, Altman has confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the launch is “soon.” Rumors suggest a possible August release, with mini and nano variants expected via OpenAI’s API. GPT-5 is said to incorporate the powerful “o3 reasoning” engine, originally intended as a separate system, now integrated for more advanced thinking and unified functionality.

Altman also addressed growing concerns over AI’s psychological impact, warning that the technology could negatively affect mental health in ways we don’t yet fully understand. As more people turn to AI for emotional support or therapy-like interactions, Altman admitted he is “scared” about how these changes could mirror—or worsen—the harms seen with social media.