Oprah Winfrey is embracing artificial intelligence (AI).
How She Is Using AI
The long-time television host and founder of her own network believes “we are in for the ride of our lives.” There appears to be positive sentiments around her reactions as she has been leaning into the technology, even using ChatGPT to search for Airbnb listings, she mentions during an interview with “ABC News.”
“It was miraculous to me that before you can practically finish the request, the answer has already come back to you,” Winfrey said.
Shift Towards AI Influenced By Sam Altman
Winfrey’s encounter with AI did not come until after she had spoken with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, for her ABC special, “AI and the Future of Us,” which aired on Sept. 12, 2024. After learning further about its capabilities, the television mogul said there was no need to fear AI.
“After he was telling me all about all the things it could do, I’m saying, ‘Okay. don’t be scared. Don’t be scared,’” she revealed in her interview.
Winfrey’s optimism is not shared by the majority of Americans. 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.
Winfrey doubles down on her stance and adds society should embrace the changes that are to come from the 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.”
