OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman promoted a ChatGPT Work feature that could use connected family calendars and children’s interests to create a personalised school-run podcast. The suggestion drew widespread criticism online, with many arguing that it substitutes AI-generated content for direct conversation between parents and children.

The strongest response came from “Gravity Falls” creator Alex Hirsch, who asked, “What if you just talked to your children?”, attracting far more engagement than Altman’s original post: about 122,000 likes and 9,000 reposts, compared with roughly 9,600 likes and 300 reposts. Altman has previously praised ChatGPT’s usefulness while raising a newborn, and OpenAI is seeking a family-focused product manager, but the company also faces lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT contributed to delusions and suicides.