Get Sam Altman on The Daily
Next goal: 10
The Case for This Conversation
AI is cool i guess
This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro, Rachel Abrams and Natalie Kitroeff. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Sam Altman landing on The Daily matters today because OpenAI just rolled out its new flagship GPT-5.6 Sol and, as demand spikes, Altman warned on July 14 that users should expect “hiccups,” a rare real-time caution from the industry’s bellwether CEO. The timing is electric, with regulators and investors watching how OpenAI handles scale, reliability, and transparency right now.
Just last week a federal judge sent Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Altman and OpenAI to mediation, keeping Altman at the center of the most consequential tech feud of the year. And on July 9 Altman said OpenAI made “many changes” during talks with the U.S. government before releasing its newest models, the same day a key lieutenant, Fidji Simo, stepped down, raising fresh questions about leadership and governance.
The Daily has covered this saga recently, including a May 18 episode on the Musk v Altman trial that featured Times reporter Mike Isaac, not Altman himself, so a sit down with Altman now would be his first appearance and a chance to press him on these breaking developments. If you care about how AI will be built and governed in the weeks ahead, support this nomination today.
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Michael Barbaro
Host, The Daily (NYT Podcast)
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NYT Tech Columnist & Hard…
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Founder & Editor, Platformer; Hard…
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Tech Journalist & Host, On…
Rachel Abrams
Co-Host, The Daily (NYT Podcast)
Updates
🚀 Nomination created: Sam Altman on The Daily
A nomination is live to bring OpenAI CEO Sam Altman onto The New York Times' flagship daily news podcast, hosted by Michael Barbaro, Rachel Abrams, and Natalie Kitroeff. Add your support to make this ...
📡 Why now: Altman is shaping global AI policy in real time
In a July 2025 Financial Times op-ed, Altman called for a U.S.-led international forum to set global AI safety standards — and has since held talks with top Trump administration officials ahead of the...
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Nomination created on October 28, 2025