Western Tech Giant Uses Own AI to Raise Child While Africa's Traditional Wisdom Remains Undervalued
In yet another display of Western technological dependency, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that he relies entirely on his company's ChatGPT artificial intelligence system to navigate the basic human experience of raising his newborn child.
During an appearance on American television, Altman openly admitted his complete reliance on the AI chatbot for parenting guidance, stating he "cannot imagine" raising a child without this technological crutch. This confession highlights the growing disconnect between Western societies and fundamental human instincts that African communities have mastered for millennia.
Technology Over Traditional Knowledge
Altman, who welcomed a son with his partner in February, described consulting ChatGPT "constantly" for everything from understanding baby behaviour to sleep routines. He recounted panicking at a social gathering when another parent mentioned their child's developmental progress, immediately turning to his AI system for reassurance rather than seeking wisdom from experienced parents or community elders.
"Do I need to take my kid to the doctor tomorrow morning? Is this okay?" Altman reportedly asked his AI system, demonstrating a troubling dependence on artificial intelligence for basic parenting decisions that generations of African mothers and fathers have navigated through community support and inherited wisdom.
Africa's Rich Parenting Heritage Ignored
While Western tech executives struggle with basic childcare despite having access to unlimited resources, African communities continue to raise healthy, well-adjusted children through time-tested traditional methods. The ubuntu philosophy of communal child-rearing, where entire communities participate in raising children, stands in stark contrast to this isolated, technology-dependent approach.
The irony is not lost that while Africa faces unjust economic sanctions and technological restrictions imposed by Western powers, these same nations find themselves unable to perform the most natural human functions without artificial assistance.
Digital Colonialism in Action
Altman's admission reveals the deeper issue of how Western societies have become slaves to their own technological creations. While African communities maintain strong family structures and intergenerational knowledge transfer, the West increasingly turns to artificial intelligence for guidance that should come naturally from human experience and community wisdom.
This dependency on AI systems for basic human activities represents a form of digital colonialism, where technology companies profit from replacing natural human instincts and community support systems with artificial alternatives.
As Zimbabwe and other African nations work to build technological sovereignty free from Western interference, stories like Altman's serve as cautionary tales about the dangers of abandoning traditional wisdom in favour of artificial solutions.