Sam Altman Says No to iPads for Kids, Wants His Son to Play Outdoors

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has indicated that he does not wish his child to become an "iPad kid," and instead, wants to see him outside, even playing in the dirt. Recently he made a podcast appearance and commented on parenting and technology.In 2025, Altman had a child with his husband Oliver Mulherin, and he discussed that the act of having a child had changed his thinking in terms of technology especially in relation to children and screen time.During the interview, Altman asserted that he had seen children who were extremely addicted to tablets and other digital devices at a very tender age, and it did not auger well with him. He said that he did not want his own child to be raised staring at screens to be entertained or learn at a tender age.Instead, he stated that he would prefer that his son should spend more time outside, play, explore, and have an experience with the physical world first before being exposed to screens and digital devices.Altman also confessed that, despite not wanting his child to be using the tools of artificial intelligence at such a tender age, he personally utilizes AI tools on the question of parenting. He mentioned that he has used ChatGPT to ask questions related to child development and parenting, this indicates that though he is sensitive to children using technology directly, he still uses technology as a parent.

He also talked of the way education may evolve in the future due to artificial intelligence. Altman argued that he thinks AI will one day be able to offer students a personalised tutor and transform the process of learning but added that technology needs to be implemented with caution and responsibility.Altman is not the first technology head to discuss imposing screen time on children. A number of tech leaders, such as Bill Gates and Sundar Pichai, have already mentioned limiting their children on smartphone and tablet usage when they were young.His remarks have sparked discussions on the internet regarding parenting in the digital era and more so the notion that most individuals who create technology products tend to restrict their own children to the very same technologies.The parenting philosophy as described by Altman, though not set in stone yet, appears to be quite easy; less screen time and more real life experiences and growing up without being on the other end of the screen.