Sam Altman Says a 10-Minute TikTok Experiment Turned Into Three Hours of Scrolling

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that he deleted TikTok from his phone after an experiment intended to help him understand the platform developed into a distracting habit he felt increasingly unable to control.

Speaking during a recent episode of the “Relentless” podcast, Altman said he deliberately immersed himself in TikTok while OpenAI was working on Sora, hoping to understand the appeal of short-form videos and the effectiveness of the platform’s recommendation system.

Altman said he initially limited his use to approximately 10 minutes before bed and believed he remained fully in control. However, the short sessions gradually became longer, including one evening when he spent about an hour using the app.

The situation reached a turning point when he found himself scrolling for approximately three hours on a Saturday afternoon. Altman said the experience felt enjoyable in the moment “like a drug,” even though he knew the habit was not good for him.

He briefly reduced his use to between five and 10 minutes each night before deciding that he had had enough and deleting the application entirely. He also disabled most notifications on his phone to reduce digital distractions.

Altman described TikTok as “too powerful,” saying he had intentionally allowed himself to become “addicted” to the platform in order to study it. His use of the word addiction was a personal description of his experience rather than a disclosed medical diagnosis.

His account highlights how personalized short-video feeds can quickly adapt to users’ viewing behaviour, encouraging prolonged scrolling and repeated engagement.