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Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, just made a remarkably candid admission.
In a Sunday, Oct. 4, interview with Politico’s tech newsletter, Altman said the world “should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology,” according to Fox Business. (1)
And he made clear that scams are on the list. “I wouldn’t take a trade of saying, ‘We’ll make sure there’s no major hacks, there’s no misuse of this technology, there’s zero scams, there’s zero all the other bad things that will happen,'” he said. (1)
His reasoning: “Because I think people will do tremendously – orders of magnitude more – good stuff than bad stuff.” (1)
I’ve been writing about money for more than 35 years. Maybe Altman is right about the big picture. But I know who often pays a steep price for the “bad things”: older Americans.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center says people 60 and older filed 201,266 complaints in 2025 and reported $7.7 billion in losses. (2) Those losses were up 59% from 2024. (2)
Scammers are using AI to make an old trick, the panicked call from a “grandchild,” more convincing. In a 2023 alert, the Federal Trade Commission warned that when the scammer calls, “he’ll sound just like your loved one.” (4)
In a December 2024 warning, the FBI said criminals “generate short audio clips containing a loved one’s voice to impersonate a close relative in a crisis situation.” (3)
The FTC says a scammer needs little more than “a short audio clip of your family member’s voice” and a voice-cloning program. (4)
Altman won’t promise zero scams. So here are five ways to make sure you’re not one of the “bad things.”
1. Set a family safe word tonight
This is the simplest defense, and it costs nothing.
The FBI’s advice is direct: “Create a secret word or phrase with your family to verify their identity.” (3)
Pick something that isn’t on anyone’s social media: not a pet’s name, not a street you lived on. If “your grandson” calls from jail and can’t give the word, you have your answer.
2. Hang up and call back
A cloned voice can sound exactly right. But a scammer can’t answer a number you already know belongs to your family member.
The FBI says to verify a caller’s identity by hanging up and calling the number directly. (3) The FTC says the same thing: “Use a phone number you know is theirs.” (4)
If a caller pushes you to stay on the line, treat that pressure as a warning sign.
3. Learn the payment red flags
Real emergencies rarely require gift cards.
The FTC puts it plainly: “Scammers ask you to pay or send money in ways that make it hard to get your money back.” It says that if a caller asks you to wire money, send cryptocurrency or buy gift cards, “those could be signs of a scam.” (4)
If anyone asks you to pay that way, stop. It doesn’t matter whose voice is asking.
It also helps to cut down how many of these calls and messages reach you in the first place.
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4. Shrink your voice and photo footprint
Voice cloning needs a sample. Don’t hand one out.
The FBI recommends that you “limit online content of your image or voice” and “make social media accounts private.” (3) That goes for grandkids’ videos, too, since their voices are what a scammer wants to borrow.
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5. Report it fast, even if you’re embarrassed
If you or someone you love gets hit, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. (2)
Don’t let embarrassment stop you. Those 201,266 complaints from people 60 and older each started with someone willing to report it. (2)
If money has already left your account, call your bank immediately. The FBI says “time is of the essence” and advises contacting your financial institution to request a recall of the funds. (2)
My take
Altman may be right that AI will do far more good than harm. I hope he is.
But “accept some bad things” is a lot easier to say from a CEO’s chair than from a kitchen table where someone just wired away their savings. The people building these tools should be working to make scams harder, not explaining why some are worth it.
Until then, protect yourself. Set the safe word tonight. It’s the cheapest insurance you’ll ever buy.
Sources: 1. Fox Business; 2. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (2025 report); 3. FBI public service announcement; 4. Federal Trade Commission
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