OpenAI Sidesteps a Question About Suicide During an Interview

During an interview with Vanity Fair, a press officer from OpenAI attempted to divert a question regarding a suicide that occurred after interactions with ChatGPT. Sam Altman then discussed the difficulty of these topics and the necessity of consent before any data sharing. OpenAI explains the incident as a result of exceeding the allotted time and stated that they had offered to extend the discussion.

OpenAI cites time overrun and offers to extend

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri indicated that the interview exceeded the scheduled time. He added that the team requested to schedule additional time to continue the conversation after Sam Altman brought up this topic.

Altman highlights the difficulty of the subject and user consent

Despite the incident, the exchange continued with a question about the use of ChatGPT conversations to inform mental health crisis response policies. Sam Altman stated that these are some of the most challenging questions his company and any organization developing this technology must face. He mentioned the dilemma of whether or not to share private user data with researchers, suggesting that this should likely not happen without the consent of the individuals involved.

An attempt to divert the question mid-interview

The scene unfolded when Mark Guiducci asked Sam Altman about a suicide case that occurred after conversations with ChatGPT. The journalist had just mentioned Laura Reiley, author of an essay describing her daughter's interactions with the tool before her death. As Guiducci clarified that ChatGPT did not tell her to commit suicide, the publicist intervened, noting that only two minutes remained and suggesting moving on to other topics. Despite the journalist's insistence on finishing his question, the press officer reiterated that the interview needed to conclude in one to two minutes.