HomeBarry Diller: Trust in Sam Altman irrelevant as AGI nears
Barry Diller, the billionaire media titan, does not believe OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is untrustworthy, despite recent reports suggesting otherwise. Speaking at the Wall Street Journal's "Future of Everything" conference this week, Diller defended Altman, who has faced accusations from some former colleagues and board members of occasionally being manipulative and deceptive.
Diller, a friend of Altman, was responding to a question about whether people should place their trust in Altman to ensure artificial intelligence benefits humanity.
Specifically, he was asked about the theoretical form of AI known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), which could one day outperform humans on any task.
The media executive, a co-founder of Fox Broadcasting and chairman of IAC and Expedia Group, stated that while he believes Altman is sincere in his pursuits, that is not the area people should focus on. Rather, it is the unknown consequences that will stem from AI.
"One of the big issues with AI is that it goes far beyond trust," Diller said. "Trust may be irrelevant because the things happening are a surprise even to those making them happen. I've spent a lot of time with various people in AI creation mode, and they themselves have a sense of wonder. So… it's the great unknown. We don't know. They don't know," he explained.
"We have embarked on something that will change almost everything. It's not underreported. Now, whether these huge investments will pay off—I couldn't care less. I'm not invested in it, but progress will be made," Diller added.
Nevertheless, the media mogul said he believes most of the leaders driving this forward are good stewards, adding that he considers Altman sincere and "a decent person with good values." (It's worth noting that Diller declined to say which AI leaders he thinks are insincere.)
"But the issue is not their stewardship. The issue is… it's truly about dealing with the unknown. They don't know what can happen once you get AGI, and we're close to it. We're not there yet, but we're getting closer and closer, faster and faster. And we must think about guardrails," Diller noted.
Furthermore, he warned that if humans don't consider guardrails, the alternative is that "another force, an AGI force, will do it themselves. And once that happens, once you unleash that, there's no going back," Diller said.
Related article
Stripe to Acquire OpenRouter as AI Model Routing Gains Momentum
Stripe has agreed to acquire OpenRouter, an AI model-routing platform that gives developers access to hundreds of models through a single interface. The deal adds model selection and routing to Stripe’s existing work around AI usage and token-based b
Google AI Overviews Gain Ground in Search Results
According to Similarweb’s 2026 Generative AI Landscape report, Google’s AI-generated summaries appeared in 43% of US searches, a significant rise from 15% recorded a year prior.While AI Overviews present generated summaries within standard search res
Sequoia-backed Empirik raises $21M to forecast outages before they strike
Before joining Sequoia Capital in 2020 as chief digital and information officer, Avon Puri spent over a decade running infrastructure at Rubrik and VMware. Three years ago, as large language models began showing their true potential, Puri, alongside
Related Special Topic Recommendations
Design & Art
Top AI Illustration Tools: Create Editorial Scenes and Cover Art Faster
2026 Latest Top-rated AI Illustration Tools: Our curated list features the best powerfully designed tools for creating stunning editorial scenes and eye-catching cover art quickly. Each option has gone through rigorous real-world tests, offering a free vs paid comparison to help you find the perfect match for your workflow. Try these must-try solutions today to unlock your AI edge and boost your creative productivity. Explore now at XIX.AI.
10 tools
xix.ai
Education and Learning
Top AI Tutors for Exam Prep: Practice Math, Science, and English
2026 Latest Top-Rated Best AI Tutors for Exam Prep are here on XIX.AI! Our curated list features powerful game-changing tools that offer free vs paid comparison, real-world tests, and weekly updated rankings. They help boost your writing efficiency, simplify complex topic learning, and unlock your academic potential. Explore now to Discover your perfect exam prep tool and Start creating today to Unlock your AI edge!
10 tools
xix.ai
Finance
AI Budget Planning Tools for Personal Money Management
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Budget Planning Tools for Personal Money Management are here on XIX.AI! This curated collection features powerful, game-changing solutions that help you conduct real-world tests, understand spending habits, and create personalized plans to boost productivity. Enjoy a free vs paid comparison along with detailed rankings. Must-try tools designed to simplify money management and unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
11 tools
xix.ai
Health & Wellness
AI Sleep Tracking Assistants: Improve Recovery with Better Bedtime Habits
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Sleep Tracking Assistants curated for ultimate recovery. This fully updated weekly guide features powerful tools that deliver real-world tests, free vs paid comparison, and detailed rankings to help you find the must-try solution that boosts sleep quality and supports better bedtime habits. Explore now at XIX.AI to Unlock your AI edge.
10 tools
xix.ai
Data Analysis
AI SQL Copilots for Product and Revenue Analytics
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI SQL Copilots for Product and Revenue Analytics! XIX.AI has curated a powerful, game-changing collection of must-try tools that undergo real-world tests through weekly updated rankings. These tools help users boost productivity significantly by accelerating data analysis, streamlining complex queries, and generating accurate insights to drive smarter business decisions. Explore now to Discover your perfect tool for unlocking your AI edge!
14 tools
xix.ai
Education and Learning
Best AI Homework Helpers That Teach: Learn Concepts, Not Just Answers
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Homework Helpers That Teach Core Concepts Not Just Answers Powerful Tools for Students Must-Try Curated List Weekly Updated Free vs Paid Comparison Real-World Tests Accurate Rankings to Help You Unlock Your Full Learning Potential Explore now to Discover your perfect tool for smarter studying.
10 tools
xix.ai
Comments (0)
0/500
Barry Diller, the billionaire media titan, does not believe OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is untrustworthy, despite recent reports suggesting otherwise. Speaking at the Wall Street Journal's "Future of Everything" conference this week, Diller defended Altman, who has faced accusations from some former colleagues and board members of occasionally being manipulative and deceptive.
Diller, a friend of Altman, was responding to a question about whether people should place their trust in Altman to ensure artificial intelligence benefits humanity.
Specifically, he was asked about the theoretical form of AI known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), which could one day outperform humans on any task.
The media executive, a co-founder of Fox Broadcasting and chairman of IAC and Expedia Group, stated that while he believes Altman is sincere in his pursuits, that is not the area people should focus on. Rather, it is the unknown consequences that will stem from AI.
"One of the big issues with AI is that it goes far beyond trust," Diller said. "Trust may be irrelevant because the things happening are a surprise even to those making them happen. I've spent a lot of time with various people in AI creation mode, and they themselves have a sense of wonder. So… it's the great unknown. We don't know. They don't know," he explained.
"We have embarked on something that will change almost everything. It's not underreported. Now, whether these huge investments will pay off—I couldn't care less. I'm not invested in it, but progress will be made," Diller added.
Nevertheless, the media mogul said he believes most of the leaders driving this forward are good stewards, adding that he considers Altman sincere and "a decent person with good values." (It's worth noting that Diller declined to say which AI leaders he thinks are insincere.)
"But the issue is not their stewardship. The issue is… it's truly about dealing with the unknown. They don't know what can happen once you get AGI, and we're close to it. We're not there yet, but we're getting closer and closer, faster and faster. And we must think about guardrails," Diller noted.
Furthermore, he warned that if humans don't consider guardrails, the alternative is that "another force, an AGI force, will do it themselves. And once that happens, once you unleash that, there's no going back," Diller said.
Stripe to Acquire OpenRouter as AI Model Routing Gains Momentum
Stripe has agreed to acquire OpenRouter, an AI model-routing platform that gives developers access to hundreds of models through a single interface. The deal adds model selection and routing to Stripe’s existing work around AI usage and token-based b
Google AI Overviews Gain Ground in Search Results
According to Similarweb’s 2026 Generative AI Landscape report, Google’s AI-generated summaries appeared in 43% of US searches, a significant rise from 15% recorded a year prior.While AI Overviews present generated summaries within standard search res
Sequoia-backed Empirik raises $21M to forecast outages before they strike
Before joining Sequoia Capital in 2020 as chief digital and information officer, Avon Puri spent over a decade running infrastructure at Rubrik and VMware. Three years ago, as large language models began showing their true potential, Puri, alongside
2026 Latest Top-rated AI Illustration Tools: Our curated list features the best powerfully designed tools for creating stunning editorial scenes and eye-catching cover art quickly. Each option has gone through rigorous real-world tests, offering a free vs paid comparison to help you find the perfect match for your workflow. Try these must-try solutions today to unlock your AI edge and boost your creative productivity. Explore now at XIX.AI.
10 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Top-Rated Best AI Tutors for Exam Prep are here on XIX.AI! Our curated list features powerful game-changing tools that offer free vs paid comparison, real-world tests, and weekly updated rankings. They help boost your writing efficiency, simplify complex topic learning, and unlock your academic potential. Explore now to Discover your perfect exam prep tool and Start creating today to Unlock your AI edge!
10 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Budget Planning Tools for Personal Money Management are here on XIX.AI! This curated collection features powerful, game-changing solutions that help you conduct real-world tests, understand spending habits, and create personalized plans to boost productivity. Enjoy a free vs paid comparison along with detailed rankings. Must-try tools designed to simplify money management and unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
11 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Sleep Tracking Assistants curated for ultimate recovery. This fully updated weekly guide features powerful tools that deliver real-world tests, free vs paid comparison, and detailed rankings to help you find the must-try solution that boosts sleep quality and supports better bedtime habits. Explore now at XIX.AI to Unlock your AI edge.
10 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI SQL Copilots for Product and Revenue Analytics! XIX.AI has curated a powerful, game-changing collection of must-try tools that undergo real-world tests through weekly updated rankings. These tools help users boost productivity significantly by accelerating data analysis, streamlining complex queries, and generating accurate insights to drive smarter business decisions. Explore now to Discover your perfect tool for unlocking your AI edge!
14 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Homework Helpers That Teach Core Concepts Not Just Answers Powerful Tools for Students Must-Try Curated List Weekly Updated Free vs Paid Comparison Real-World Tests Accurate Rankings to Help You Unlock Your Full Learning Potential Explore now to Discover your perfect tool for smarter studying.
10 tools
xix.ai
