OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sparked backlash after predicting that 'a kid growing up today will never be smarter than AI' during a G20-related technology meeting in North Carolina in early September 2026.
Altman argued that artificial intelligence should be embraced as a foundational technology comparable to electricity, saying children growing up today will never know a world without highly capable AI. His remarks quickly circulated online, prompting criticism over what intelligence means and whether AI should permanently outrank humans.
Speaking alongside US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Altman presented AI as essential infrastructure for economic competitiveness and quality of everyday life. He argued that refusing to adopt AI would be comparable to rejecting electricity during the industrial era.
Altman also suggested that within a decade people may stop talking about 'AI' as a separate technology because it will simply be embedded into products, services and daily routines.
His prediction about children, however, became a widely shared part of the discussion.
The statement prompted a wave of critical reactions on social media, with users questioning whether artificial intelligence can be considered superior to humans in every form of intelligence.
One user wrote, 'What a stupid statement. He has no clue about magic or imagination or mystery.'
Another criticised the idea that AI should be treated as inherently more intelligent than future generations, writing, 'Altman is too dumb to understand how wrong he is.'
Others challenged the comparison between human abilities and machines. One comment read, 'A kid growing up today will never outrun a car. A kid growing up today will never outcalculate a calculator. A kid growing up today will never lift a forklift. These are silly arguments.'
The reactions reflect a broader disagreement over whether intelligence can be measured on a single scale. Critics argue that creativity, emotional understanding, moral reasoning, lived experience and human judgement cannot simply be compared with an AI system's ability to process information.
The latest controversy follows another backlash over Altman's comments about AI and parenting in late July and early August.
Altman had described a potential use for ChatGPT in which parents could connect family calendars, add their children's interests and have the system create a personalised morning podcast for the school run. The podcast could mention a child's activities, birthdays and news.
Animator Alex Hirsch criticised the idea with the response, 'What if you just talked to your children?', which received greater engagement than Altman's original post. The exchange fuelled concerns that AI could replace ordinary family interaction rather than simply support it.
Altman has previously said children could become 'vastly more capable' through AI use, while also predicting they would never be smarter than AI. His latest comments place those two ideas alongside a broader belief that highly capable AI will become a normal part of childhood.
Supporters of AI adoption see increasingly capable systems as tools that can extend what people can accomplish.
