Do not trust ChatGPT, it can hallucinate, says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman: Why students must rethink AI dependence

Artificial intelligence, an innovation that began attracting a plethora of attention while still in its cradle, is now growing up in a world determined to dominate workplaces. It has made inroads into every aspect of human existence. And education is no exception. In fact, one could argue that the most treacherous illusion in modern education is not misinformation, but misplaced trust.This technology has not only revolutionised the workplace—it has also weakened the very foundation of our education system. A 2023 Wall Street Journal survey revealed that approximately 90% of students were using ChatGPT to complete their assignments. The technology has introduced an array of shortcuts and instant answers, serving them up on a silver platter.But what happens when the very tool designed to enhance thinking quietly replaces it? That question is no longer hypothetical; it’s an unsettling reality of our present context.ChatGPT is not just disrupting the education system; it is overwhelming students with misinformation. But who’s saying this? A critic? Not quite. It’s the creator himself.Yes, you read that right. In a rare moment of candor, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the architect behind ChatGPT, issued a caution: “People have a very high degree of trust in ChatGPT, which is interesting, because AI hallucinates. It should be the tech you don’t trust that much.”The warning demands immediate introspection, especially from students who are increasingly treating generative AI as gospel.This isn’t paranoia. It’s a reckoning.Altman’s warning came during the inaugural episode of OpenAI’s official podcast, where he reflected on ChatGPT’s growing influence. While acknowledging its evolving capabilities, he admitted the technology is still “not super reliable”. The irony couldn’t be louder: A CEO asking users not to trust his own flagship product.Why? Because ChatGPT doesn’t know. It predicts.The chatbot crafts responses based on probability, not truth. It mimics understanding without possessing it. And in academic settings, where nuance, originality, and interpretation matter more than fluency, that can be a silent killer of intellectual development.Altman’s words arrive amid mounting legal pressure, from copyright lawsuits to privacy concerns, and a broader realization that generative AI, though dazzling, is still deeply flawed. The platforms remoulding how students learn, research, and write are also reprogramming how they think, or whether they are thinking at all.The danger here isn’t just factual inaccuracy. It’s cognitive atrophy. Students, allured by ChatGPT’s eloquence and speed, often bypass the process of struggling through a problem. That struggle, frustrating as it may be, is where learning lives. Without it, the brain stops forging new pathways. It memorizes outputs, but forgets how to arrive at them.True education is not glittering degrees, but developing the ability to think, to form opinions, and to have knowledge of certain events. Critical thinking, curiosity, and deep reflection lie at the heart of true education, are now standing on the edge of becoming obsolete in a world that rewards quick completions over complex contemplations.Altman’s admission isn’t a condemnation of AI. It’s a provocation. One that calls for a cultural reset in how students engage with this tool.Here’s how students can begin reclaiming their intellectual agency:In the rush to innovate, we risk creating machines that write essays no one remembers, solve equations no one understands, and provide answers no one questions.The greatest threat of AI isn’t misinformation, it’s intellectual complacency. Sam Altman’s unexpected honesty is not just a cautionary footnote in tech history. It’s a line in the sand for educators, students, and institutions alike.Let ChatGPT be a tool, not a tutor. Let it assist, not define. And above all, let it remind us that the most powerful engine of learning still lies between our ears, not inside a prompt box.