tech
December 19, 2025
A brief history of Sam Altman’s hype
Here’s how pinning a utopian vision for AI on LLMs kicked off the hype cycle that’s causing fears of a bubble today.
TL;DR
- Sam Altman is known as a world-class fundraiser and persuader in Silicon Valley.
- OpenAI's releases, particularly ChatGPT, fueled a mania around large language models (LLMs).
- Altman articulates a thesis that LLMs mirror human intelligence and could lead to a techno-utopia.
- His statements have set the agenda for AI discussions, framing superintelligent AI as humanistic or catastrophic.
- Altman's outlook has powered the current AI boom, often presenting open questions as answered.
- His hype hinges on philosophical future possibilities, which also serves as a case for more capital and friendlier regulation.
- Promises of future destinations like abundance and superintelligence often precede evidence.
- Even if current LLMs hit limitations, Altman's faith in a techno-utopian future is unlikely to waver.
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