Sam Altman becomes 'Ram Altman' on X after backlash over remarks on computer memory
The OpenAI CEO said RAM would be better used in data centers than in PCs; after the backlash, he said he had been taken out of context
Translated from the Portuguese original by the Panorama newsroom. Read in Portuguese
Summary written by the Panorama newsroom from the sources listed below. Facts are attributed to the original publications.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman changed his X profile name to "Ram Altman" after facing criticism over remarks about the use of RAM, g1 reported.
In an interview with the Cheeky Pint podcast on October 29, Altman argued that, given the limited supply of the component, it would be more efficient to concentrate memory in data centers, which process data and run AI systems, than in personal computers. According to him, PCs spend much of their time without using all the memory available, while servers use it more intensively.
The remark went down badly on social media, especially among users who advocate running artificial intelligence models locally, on their own computers, without relying on services from big companies. Some of them saw the statement as a defense of concentrating computing resources in big tech, and the remark sparked discussion about the risk of a growing dependence on paid cloud services.
In response, Altman said on X that his words had been taken out of context, that he is not opposed to the use of RAM in personal computers and that he has long advocated increasing global memory production.
The episode comes at a time when, according to g1, the advance of artificial intelligence is driving up demand for memory such as DRAM, a type of RAM used in computers and phones, while tech companies invest billions of dollars in building data centers.