OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly criticized the practice of attributing religious or spiritual qualities to artificial intelligence models, labeling the trend a potential "safety issue." Altman’s comments, made on Saturday, appear to be a pointed critique of industry peers, specifically Anthropic, which has reportedly engaged with religious scholars to explore the moral and conscious dimensions of AI.

This disagreement underscores a deepening ideological split between Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, a former OpenAI colleague. While Anthropic has shown interest in the philosophical and ethical implications of AI consciousness, Altman maintains that treating models as if they possess spiritual or religious power is misguided and potentially dangerous. Altman is not alone in this skepticism; several prominent figures in the technology sector have begun to voice concerns regarding efforts to frame AI as having a soul or inherent consciousness.

The debate centers on how companies should define the capabilities and nature of their technology. Proponents of the perspective Altman criticizes argue that understanding AI through a moral or philosophical lens is necessary for safe development. Conversely, Altman and his supporters suggest that such framing anthropomorphizes the software in a way that obscures its technical reality and creates unnecessary risks. As the industry advances, this tension between viewing AI as a purely technical tool versus a potentially conscious entity remains a significant point of friction among top developers.