OpenAI chief Sam Altman quits TikTok after finding it dangerously addictive
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he deliberately became hooked on TikTok to study its algorithm, then removed the app because it proved too compelling.
During a recent Relentless podcast interview, Sam Altman disclosed that he intentionally immersed himself in TikTok to dissect its recommendation mechanics, only to discover the app’s pull was stronger than anticipated. What began as a controlled ten-minute nightly wind-down escalated to multi-hour sessions, prompting him to ultimately uninstall the platform. At the same time, TikTok’s U.S. business has been transferred to a majority-owned joint venture—TikTok USDS—backed by Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX, with Oracle also providing the cloud infrastructure, while ByteDance keeps a 19.9% share.
Altman also referenced OpenAI’s internal push to create a video-centric social platform called Sora, which secured a partnership with Disney but was scrapped in March due to high computational costs. The decision reflects OpenAI’s shift toward focusing resources on core generative-AI competition rather than video rendering. These developments highlight both the personal impact of addictive social media and broader corporate maneuvers in the tech landscape.
Why it matters
It shows how even top tech leaders can be drawn into addictive platforms and signals shifting ownership of TikTok in the US.
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