OpenAI CEO on AI’s Impact on Jobs

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, stated during a virtual appearance at the Commonwealth Bank Conference in Sydney that he does not believe artificial intelligence will lead to a “jobs apocalypse.” Reflecting on his earlier thoughts, he expressed relief that the situation hasn’t developed as he once feared.

Altman admitted, “I’m glad we were wrong on this. I thought the impact of AI on entry-level white-collar jobs would be more pronounced by now.” In an interview with Matt Kamin, he conveyed that, despite some fears in the industry, the job market hasn’t dramatically changed in the way some predicted.

Previously, Altman had voiced concern over job losses due to AI. In 2023, he mentioned in an interview that “jobs are definitely going to disappear,” particularly after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, when he had expressed concerns about AI’s potential to disrupt the labor market.

In 2025, he suggested to the Federal Reserve that jobs across various sectors might vanish altogether, and noted that while some companies are blaming AI for layoffs, he refrained from identifying those companies.

On another note, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, warned that AI could potentially eliminate half of entry-level office roles.

Altman, addressing the earlier fears around AI’s influence, remarked, “People might think I could have prevented a lot of anxiety, but at the time, I felt we needed to address these real risks.” He emphasized the importance of transparency in discussing technological advancements, although he acknowledged that OpenAI’s management team may have misjudged the extent of AI’s social and economic effects.

“I believe a lot of society will be affected by this. It’s crucial for us to be transparent, even if it leads us to make mistakes,” he told attendees at the conference.

Looking ahead, OpenAI is reportedly planning to file for a confidential initial public offering (IPO) soon, with expectations of reaching a valuation of $1 trillion.