Dave Eggers Criticizes ChatGPT for 'Killing a Whole Generation' in OpenAI Speech

Sam Altman invited writer Dave Eggers to speak to about 200 OpenAI employees last year. Instead of sharing creative insights, Eggers harshly criticized ChatGPT's impact on education. According to the Financial Times, he told employees: 'ChatGPT's impact on teachers' lives is catastrophic. Whether you intended it or not, you have made every teacher's job infinitely harder than it was two years ago.' He added: 'If students use it to write—which is the greatest tragedy—they will never learn to write. Their voices are stolen, and they can no longer express their truth and stories. This is killing a whole generation or two.' Eggers, author of the bestselling novel 'The Circle' which criticizes the tech industry, has previously called AI-generated content 'collage-like nonsense.' His speech directly addressed OpenAI's product team and decision-makers, urging them to reflect on the long-term impact of their product on writing skills in education. For teachers and students using ChatGPT, this criticism intensifies the debate over whether AI-assisted writing strips original expression.