Ram-Altman script emails OpenAI chief about unused RAM

The Ram-Altman script turns unused computer memory into a daily message for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Developer Iain Kay published the project on GitHub after Altman questioned how efficiently personal computers use the world’s supply of memory.

Linux tool checks memory every five minutes

The script monitors a Linux computer’s memory usage at five-minute intervals. When more than 10% of its RAM remains available, it can send Altman a daily email reporting the spare capacity. However, users must first configure an email account so the program can send messages.

Kay built variety into the reports by including eight subject lines, ten message templates and six sign-offs. Consequently, the emails can change their wording while delivering the same joke about memory sitting outside an AI data center. The developer describes that rotation as a way to manage how quickly the humor wears thin.

One example uses the subject line “You missed a spot” and reports 8.6 GB of unused memory. It describes the RAM as having no plans for the day. The message then signs off from a concerned owner who is responsibly keeping hold of it.

Altman’s remarks inspired the Ram-Altman script

The project responds to comments Altman made during an appearance on the Cheeky Pint podcast. He criticized the amount of DRAM sitting in personal computers while spending much of its time idle. His remarks came amid strong demand for memory in AI development.

Meanwhile, rising RAM prices have made computer upgrades more expensive for users. That backdrop helped fuel criticism of Altman’s comments online. Some readers questioned whether hardware utilization should determine how individuals use equipment they own.

Several commenters extended the argument to the assets of wealthy technology leaders. One compared idle computer memory with rooms in multiple large homes that one owner cannot occupy simultaneously. Another suggested tracking unused billionaire assets and measuring what they could fund, including schools.

Windows users need a Linux environment

The Ram-Altman script requires Linux, although Windows users can run it through Windows Subsystem for Linux. macOS lacks direct support. The repository provides installation instructions and explains how users can configure the email functionality.

After setup, the tool checks available memory and applies its reporting threshold. Its five-minute monitoring schedule operates separately from the daily email limit. As a result, frequent checks do not mean a new message follows every reading.

Kay’s project packages the criticism into a small piece of automation. A routine system measurement becomes a recurring response to Altman’s remarks, with spare RAM supplying the material for each message.