Altman: Gen Z and Millennials are turning to ChatGPT as their "life coach," while college students have adopted it as an operating system

May 10th, per a Fortune report: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told an event hosted by Sequoia that Gen Z and Millennials are using ChatGPT as a "life counselor"—and American college students take it further, building complex workflows around the tool. Altman noted young users treat ChatGPT like an operating system: they set up intricate configurations, connect it to files, jot down detailed prompts (or save them elsewhere), and rarely make a life decision without asking ChatGPT for guidance. A 2025 OpenAI report adds that U.S. college-age young people are the most enthusiastic about ChatGPT compared to any other demographic or use case. Over a third of 18-24-year-olds use the tool, Altman explained, thanks to its ability to retain context from past conversations—remembering the people in a user’s life and all their prior chats. People use ChatGPT for a range of consultations, from relationship advice to business and medical questions, with some even using it as an alternative to talk therapy. But experts across fields are debating whether relying on ChatGPT for major life decisions is safe or wise. Sequoia, a venture capital firm, first invested in OpenAI in 2021, when the company was valued at $14 billion. Today, OpenAI’s valuation stands at $852 billion.