OpenAI Podcast

Episode 15 - Inside the Model Spec

The more AI can do, the more we need to ask what it should and shouldn’t do. In this episode, OpenAI researcher Jason Wolfe joins host Andrew Mayne to talk about the Model Spec, the public framework that defines intended model behavior. They discuss how the Model Spec works in practice, including how the chain of command handles conflicts between instructions, and how OpenAI evolves it based on feedback, real-world use, and new model capabilities.Chapters00:00 Introduction01:10 What is the Model Spec?03:55 How does the Model Spec work in practice?06:26 Transparency: Where to read the Model Spec & give feedback07:51 How did the Model Spec originate?10:02 How does the spec translate into model behavior?11:26 What is the hierarchy / chain of command?13:35 Handling edge cases like Santa Claus17:41 How does the Model Spec evolve over time?19:59 What happens when models disagree with the spec?22:05 How do smaller models follow the spec?23:16 Is chain-of-thought useful for alignment?24:16 Model Spec vs Anthropic’s Constitution26:28 What surprised you most?26:56 How do you define the scope of the spec?27:44 What is the future of the Model Spec?31:16 How should developers think about the spec?34:44 Asimov’s laws vs Model Spec37:16 Could AI write a Human Spec? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 14 - Building AI for better healthcare

Healthcare systems around the world are under strain, and both patients and clinicians are feeling the impact. OpenAI's Head of Health Dr. Nate Gross and Karan Singhal, who leads Health AI Research, discuss how AI can help address the biggest challenges. They cover how OpenAI is training models to handle sensitive health questions in collaboration with physicians, and how that foundation is unlocking a new generation of tools for patients, clinicians, and healthcare systems.Chapters00:00:38 – Origins of Nate and Karan’s interest in AI and healthcare00:05:01 – Strategy for building AI tools for clinicians00:06:57 – How AI models are trained for health use cases00:10:15 – How OpenAI is able to score well on health evals00:14:21 – Key challenges deploying AI in healthcare00:21:05 – Collaboration with hospitals and healthcare systems00:23:05 – Practical everyday uses of AI health assistants00:26:43 – Biggest “wow” moment during development00:28:46 – Feedback from clinicians and early users Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 13 - The Thinking Behind Ads in ChatGPT

How should advertising work in an AI product? Asad Awan, one of the ad leads at OpenAI, walks through how the company is approaching this decision and why it’s testing ads in ChatGPT at all. He explains how ads are built to stay separate from the model response, keep conversations with ChatGPT private from advertisers, and give people control over their experience.Chapters00:00:29 — Mission and principles00:04:01 — Separation between ads and answers00:07:31 — Who will see ads00:08:52 — Internal input and decision-making process00:11:06 — Controls and how ads will work00:15:53 — Guardrails for sensitive conversations00:17:33 — Skepticism about ads00:20:26 — Helping small businesses00:24:13 — Future of ads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 12 - State of the AI Industry

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar and Khosla Ventures founder Vinod Khosla argue the greatest challenges in AI right now are keeping up with demand and making sure more people get the benefit. They unpack what's driving big investments in compute and why this moment is different from other technology cycles — with meaningful advances in health, agents, and robotics still ahead. Chapters00:00:00 — What’s the AI story of 2026?00:07:28 — AI in healthcare00:12:01 — Scaling compute to match revenue00:18:05 — Difference between now and dot-com bubble00:27:41 — Ads in ChatGPT00:30:05 — Will consumers have more than one AI subscription?00:36:41 — Winning in enterprise00:39:44 — How can startups succeed?00:44:05 — Robotics and beyond Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 11- Shaping Model Behavior in GPT-5.1

What does it mean for an AI model to have "personality"? Researcher Christina Kim and product manager Laurentia Romaniuk talk about how OpenAI set out to build a model that delivers on both IQ and EQ, while giving people more flexibility in how ChatGPT responds. They break down what goes into model behavior and why it's an important, but still imperfect blend of art and science.Chapters:- 00:00:43 — GPT-5.1 goals and the shift to reasoning models- 00:02:18 — Differences between GPT-5 and GPT-5.1- 00:04:55 — Unpacking the model switcher- 00:07:24 — Understanding user feedback- 00:08:27 — Measuring progress on emotional intelligence- 00:10:02 — What is model personality?- 00:14:25 — Model steerability, bias, and uncertainty- 00:21:59 — Advantages of memory in ChatGPT- 00:25:27 — Looking ahead and advice for getting the most out of models Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.