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At a June 2025 live recording of Hard Fork, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman challenged The New York Times over its lawsuit against OpenAI, arguing that the paper’s position on preserving user chat logs raised privacy concerns. That was Altman’s onstage characterization of the dispute—not a verified account of the court filing’s exact terms.
What happened at Hard Fork Live
The New York Times published the interview as “Hard Fork Live, Part 1: Sam Altman and Brad Lightcap of OpenAI” on June 27, 2025. Apple Podcasts lists it as a 57-minute, subscriber-only episode. The installment also includes highlights from the first Hard Fork Live event and an appearance by San Francisco’s mayor.
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Hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton said in the episode narration that Altman and OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap came onstage before the planned introduction. They recalled initially wondering if it was a production mistake, then interpreted the entrance as a deliberate effort to unsettle them before the lawsuit discussion. That is the hosts’ account and interpretation, not independently established intent.
Newton also recounted Altman saying before the interview, “I don’t strike first, but I do strike back.” The line appears in a third-party transcript, so it should be checked against the recording before being treated as a verified quotation.
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The dispute Altman described
During the conversation, Altman said The New York Times was taking the position that OpenAI should preserve users’ chat logs, including private-mode conversations and chats users had asked to delete. He framed that as a privacy issue, saying, as transcribed, “I do think, I like user privacy.” He also said, “Still love you guys, still love the New York Times, but that one we feel strongly about.”
Those statements describe Altman’s presentation of the Times’ position onstage. The sources available for this account do not include the underlying court filing, so they do not establish the precise wording or scope of the request. They also do not establish the lawsuit’s current legal status. The episode is a record of the interview, not a substitute for court documents.
What the hosts said about their role
Roose and Newton stated that they were not involved in the lawsuit and were not speaking for The New York Times’ position. Their disclosure matters: the episode documents a tense exchange between the OpenAI executives and the show’s hosts, but the hosts did not present themselves as legal representatives for either side.
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In their post-interview narration, the hosts said Altman emailed them afterward to apologize, saying he had been “such an asshole” and felt bad. That apology is reported by the hosts; the email itself is not available here for independent verification.
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The episode is listed on Apple Podcasts as subscriber-only, with the listing pointing listeners toward The New York Times’ podcast subscription route. The page identifies the episode date and duration and describes its contents.
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