Warriors Coach Steve Kerr, OpenAI’s Sam Altman talk leadership, AI, and future of SF
SAN FRANCISCO - Two of San Francisco’s biggest leaders in sports and technology shared the stage for the first time in a conversation about leadership, innovation, and the future of the city.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke for an hour at an event on Monday moderated by civic leader Manny Yekutiel, who owns the Mission District gathering space Manny’s. It was held at the Sydney Goldstein Theater.
Mayor Daniel Lurie introduced the two as visionaries and game changers in San Francisco. It was their first meeting, and they found common ground in responsibility, leadership, and a shared commitment to the city.
At the start of the talk, a man in the audience briefly interrupted the program when he jumped on stage, saying he wanted to serve Altman with a subpoena. The crowd booed, and security quickly escorted him out of the theater without incident.
Yekutiel opened the conversation by asking Kerr about his most recent personal use of ChatGPT.
"I actually used it for a medical question and it was amazing because it’s like you can just have 10 doctors all together at once collaborating," Kerr said.
Both Kerr and Altman agreed that leadership is most critical when things are not going well, emphasizing the importance of strong values and team culture.
"Two things I’ve learned - one is being calm when things are not going well - is well more than half of what works," Altman said. "Even if you’re like, hey, I have no idea how we’re going to get through this, it seems really hard, but we’ve figured out a lot of hard things before."
Kerr spoke about tough moments and seasons.
"I knew that our values had to remain strong, but what also had to happen, to Sam’s point, is the players need a vision, like what are we doing?" Kerr added.
Altman also addressed the challenges surrounding artificial intelligence, including ethics, job displacement, and environmental impact.
"I don’t think we’ll look back in a few decades and say that AI was a pure force for good, we’re happy with everything AI brought into the world," Altman said. "I think we will say it was a big net good."
The crowd applauded Kerr’s willingness to speak out on social issues, particularly gun reform. "I was inspired because I lost my dad to gun violence and I realized I have a platform," he said, adding that former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whom he once played for, inspired him.
The two also touched on San Francisco’s widening wealth gap and the importance of using money for good. Kerr called the economy "slanted against the younger generation," saying it’s harder for them to buy homes today. Altman emphasized the need to build more affordable housing.
The conversation ended with an open question from each to the other. Kerr asked, "How can AI help the Warriors?"
"I was wondering how long it would be until we have an AI that could watch every game, simulate a bunch of strategies," Altman said, adding that it might not be that far off.
Audience members said they were inspired by the discussion.
"I think for me, I’m not in the tech industry, so it’s interesting to hear from someone so important in that realm," said Stephanie Block of San Francisco.
"My takeaway is that this city is on the rise," said Leo Stroe, also of San Francisco. "And it’s thanks to people like Coach Kerr and Sam Altman who see all the opportunity we have given our collective ingenuity."
Golden State WarriorsArtificial Intelligence