Oprah Winfrey, a woman that has been on this Earth for 7 decades has given her take on the future of AI. 

She believes that, “we are in for the ride of our lives” (Winfrey).

According to the interview she did with ABC News Oprah Winfrey gives a positive sentiment to AI, as she has been learning to use this technology. She even mentions using ChatGPT to search for Airbnb listings!

“It was miraculous to me that before you can practically finish the request, the answer has already come back to you,” Winfrey said.

Winfrey mentions that her first encounter with AI wasn't until her encounter with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, in her ABC special, "AI and the Future of US" which aired on September 12, 2024. After learning more about this technology, Winfrey stated that there was no need to fear AI, contrary to what many think today. A survey released by the Pew Research Center in 2023 shows the majority of Americans, 52%, have concerns about the impact of AI in their day-to-day lives. Winfrey specifically says that we should embrace the changes that will come from this technology.

“I don’t think we should be scared. I think we should be disciplined and we should honor it and have a reverence for what is to come and respect,” she stated. “I think it’s going to change in ways that are unimaginable for the good, and just as there is for the good, there’s the yin and yang of everything. So, we need to do whatever we can so that we are not in the same position that we are now with social media. Now is the time.”

AI The Future of Us:

"I was at a conference last year and saw a presentation by Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin from the Center for Humane Technology. AI could offer all these great things in health and education, and yet — no controls. You know, identities being stolen and not knowing what’s real and what isn’t real. The possibility of enhanced cyberattacks. I just felt like, “Wow, I didn’t know this stuff. And I’m sure millions of other people don’t know it, either.” It feels like a major turning point for us and that the information and the opportunities around AI are going to be coming faster than many of our brains can process.

I approached [Disney CEO] Bob Iger and said, “What would you think if we tried to break this down and explained AI to a broadcast audience?” I wanted to do it simply, because I’ve always felt that I was a surrogate for viewers. I get to ask questions that they want to know or are thinking about, but maybe don’t have access to be able to ask. But if they could, they would be asking the same things. So that’s how this happened" (Winfrey).

Link to show: https://abc.com/movies-and-specials/d9e8a932-0cd7-4187-81b8-294929f8c8f7

Citations:

Dorisca, Samantha. “A Conversation With OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Led Oprah Winfrey To No Longer Be Scared Of AI — ‘We Should Honor It And Have A Reverence For What Is To Come.’” AFORTECH, 13 September 2024, https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/conversation-openai-ceo-sam-altman-172709955.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABoblbzROjn6NR6jTEG1nFkqngQCI9Ns-ZPzK6mR2kyzUzj5CMdvDFBx_4UNARhlM7Mw-IyiwAPVIUhI527ly___r. Accessed 15 September 2024.

Tyrangiel, Josh. “‘He surprised me’: Oprah on her new AI special with Sam Altman.” The Washington Post, 11 September 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/09/11/oprah-winfrey-interview-ai-special/. Accessed 15 September 2024.