The AI industry's biggest names have thoughts on whether you should have kids

AI leaders discuss having children in a new documentary. d3sign/Getty Images 2026-03-30T09:13:01.245Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. A new documentary called "The AI Doc" explores whether the future is safe for kids. The filmmakers interviewed some of the AI industry's biggest names. They mostly agree that it's a good time to have kids despite the risks posed by AI. AI-generated summary Summaries are generated by an AI model trained on Business Insider's articles. AI may make mistakes or provide inaccurate/incomplete information. We're unable to load that answer right now. Please try again. What risks does AI pose to children? What is "apocaloptimism" in AI context? Why do AI leaders support having kids? How does AI impact future generations? How is AI affecting parenting views? The people building the future of artificial intelligence don't always agree, but when it comes to one deeply human question, their answers are consistent: Yes, you should still have kids. Loading audio narration... In a new documentary called "The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist," directors Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell asked some of the most recognizable CEOs in the AI race whether it is still safe to bring children into this world."I think it's a great time to have a kid. We'll probably have another kid at some point," Anthropic's president and cofounder, Daniela Amodei, tells the filmmakers. Amodei has one son, Galileo, according to a blog post from Stripe, where she worked for over five years. As major tech companies pour billions into building increasingly powerful systems that could one day surpass human intelligence, questions about the risks they may pose — especially to future generations — are prevalent. Researchers leading AI development have warned of existential risks, including the possibility that advanced systems could pursue goals misaligned with human interests if left unchecked. The technology's impact on jobs is also a major concern for many parents. Every time Lakshmi publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! Stay connected to Lakshmi and get more of their work as it publishes. Sign up By clicking "Sign up", you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. For OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the answer is also a yes.He said parenthood is "this momentous thing" that feels both exciting and overwhelming. "I stay up every night reading these books about how to raise a kid, and I hope I'm going to do a good job," he says in the film. He also said he's not worried about kids growing up in a world with AI. At the same time, Altman is blunt about what that world will look like. "Our kids will never be smarter than an AI" simply from a "raw IQ perspective," he said.Altman welcomed a son in February 2025, announcing in a post on X at the time that "he came early and is going to be in the nicu for awhile." He added that "he is doing well, and it's really nice to be in a little bubble taking care of him. i have never felt such love." Others struck a more philosophical tone in the film.DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis emphasized the enduring value of human life itself. "I think it's a wonderful idea to have kids. I think they're the most magical, incredible thing," he said. Hassabis has two sons in their late teens, The Guardian reported last year. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, meanwhile, said there are valid reasons to doubt having children."There's so much uncertainty. I would almost just do what you're going to do anyway," he says in the film. "I know that's not a very satisfying answer, but it's the only one I can come up with." Taken together, their answers reflect the same tension that runs through the broader AI debate. The future may be uncertain, and it may belong to machines in ways we don't yet fully understand, but for now, the people shaping that future aren't putting their lives on hold.