When facing AI LLM, the age division of users might be unusually "cruel" - are users over 35 considered elderly in terms of usage habits?
Not a Search Engine, but an "Operating System"
Sam Altman points out that the way contemporary young people use ChatGPT is far more in-depth, instinctive, and revolutionary than the previous generation imagined, becoming a phenomenon that is highly representative of the times.
Many users over middle age still treat ChatGPT as an "upgraded Google", going there to ask simple questions, look for information, at most considering it a "more powerful search engine". But how would Generation Z and Alpha Generation (born from 1995 to present) use it?
Young people use ChatGPT not as a tool, but directly as the core operating system of their lives.
They design their own set of prompts, even memorizing these prompts as a "skill set". They connect large amounts of personal files, including documents, presentations, and memos to ChatGPT, making AI their assistant for life, academics, and work. For specific needs like reports, creation, and work, they establish dedicated workflow settings, treating ChatGPT as a "virtual partner" for long-term collaboration.
Simply put, young people are not using AI, but "living with AI".
Consulting ChatGPT for Important Decisions
Sam Altman observed a very surprising behavioral pattern:
Many young people have developed a habit of first asking ChatGPT before making life decisions, such as choosing schools, career paths, relationships, and major purchases.
This is not about finding information online, but about digging out personal information they were not consciously aware of, allowing ChatGPT to understand their interpersonal relationships and values based on past conversation contexts, and engage in in-depth discussions.
After the memory function was launched, this behavior became even more prevalent, because AI is no longer a cold question-and-answer machine, but a personal advisor who knows all the details of one's life. Altman states that young people are creating a long-term, continuously growing digital alter ego.
The Fault Line in Learning Curve
Altman points out that the way young people around 20 use ChatGPT is almost like "a different world" compared to users over 35, a fault line similar to when smartphones first came out - young people instantly got it, while older people took three years to learn.
This generational difference exists not only at the individual level but is also reflected in companies' adaptation speed to AI tools, with startups always being a big step ahead. Traditional companies might still not understand how AI could help their business.
Altman's final conclusion is that the younger generation no longer sees AI as an auxiliary tool, but as basic infrastructure in personal life. This difference in thinking is the key to the explosion of AI applications, and he believes it will reshape the entire digital experience design logic and define the form of the next generation of AI products and platforms.
Below is the full video, with the part about the younger generation starting after 15:20.
