Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath recently hostel OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on his WTF podcast, and conducted a discussion on range of topics including the Artificial Intelligence (AI), changing world and society and marriage and kids. You read that right! The show is full of what any techie would love to hear about – AI, evolution of technology and much more. Bu, Kamath then diverted the chat to a rather personal note and asked Altman about his family and specially, kids.
Sam Altman said having a family is the coolest, “most amazing, emotionally overwhelming thing in the best ways and hard ways too” for him. Kamath recalled the time when he met Altman’s kid when they met a few years ago in Washington.
Explaining what having a kid meant to him, Altman said,” …:t’s like a kind of love you didn’t know you could feel it’s all it’s all true I have nothing to add other than I strongly recommend it and I think it’s been really wonderful it’s amazing.”
‘Why do people have kids?’: Kamath asks Altman
On the show, Kamath goes on to ask the OpenAI CEO about the reason people have kids and why he had a kid. To this, Sam said family is something he considers very important in his life.
“I didn’t even know how much I underestimated what it was actually going to be like but it felt like the most important and meaningful and fulfilling thing I could imagine doing and it is so far so early exceeded all expectations,” he added.
When Kamath asked if it is just a biological need to procreate, Altman said he doesn’t care if it is. “…this seems like a thing that is so deep it’s difficult to put into words but I feel confident like everyone I know looking back on their life – who has had a great career and had a family has either said you know ‘I’m so glad I took the time to have kids that was one of the most important things I’ve ever done’, ‘the best things I’ve ever done’ or they’ve said ‘that was by far the best thing I’ve ever done that was way more important than any of the work I ever did’ and ‘I was like willing to take the leap of faith that that would be true for me too’.”
“…if it is just a biological hack I don’t care, I’m so happy, you know it is like there’s a sense of responsibility…family is the word that keeps coming to mind that it’s just really great; the world seems to be having lesser kids…” he added.
In February this year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had announced the birth of his first child with partner Oliver Mulherin. He had made the announcement on X.
Nikhil’s 2024 comment on kids go viral
The conversation holds importance because in 2024, Nikhil Kamath in his podcast said that he does not believe in the idea of having kids to continue “legacy”. He rejected the idea that people dedicate two decades of their lives “babysitting” the child, hoping that they would keep good care of them in old age.
“This is also partly why I don’t have kids. I’m going to ruin 18-20 years of my life babysitting this child and then if luck serves me right, the reverse will happen at some point. What if he says ‘scr** you’ at 18 and leave anyway,” he had said.
‘Creating family will become far more important’: Altman
Altman said in the days ahead when the world will be the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) world, creating family or community will become more important.
“I think it’s a real problem for society that those things have been in retreat. I think that that just feels strictly bad to me…I’m obviously not sure why that’s been happening, but I hope will really reverse course on that and in a world where people have more abundance more time more sort of resources and potential and ability,” he said.
“I think it’s like pretty clear that family and community are two of the things that make us the happiest and I hope we will turn back to that,” he added.
