Some companies are using artificial intelligence as an excuse for layoffs that would have happened regardless. This statement was made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during a conversation with CNBC.

“I don’t know the exact percentage, but there are certain firms attributing layoffs to AI. There are also real cases of job displacement due to AI,” the entrepreneur said.

He believes that over time, the impact of automation on the labor market will only increase.

Altman emphasized that new types of employment will emerge in the era of large language models (LLMs), and the “real impact of technology on job tasks” will become noticeable in the coming years.

Previously, companies like Amazon, IBM, Salesforce, and HP mentioned workforce optimization due to the implementation of neural networks.

In September, the OpenAI chief predicted layoffs for many support staff. However, professions requiring personal contact (such as nursing) will be minimally affected by technology. For programmers, AI will become a tool that significantly boosts productivity and, consequently, income levels.

Regarding the next 5-10 years, the OpenAI CEO is uncertain about how the number of jobs will change. He believes that the displacement of some professions may lead to the creation of new ones.

“I recently heard that half of jobs don’t disappear but rather transform every 75 years. This is essentially a kind of half-life period. […] I can easily envision a world where, in 75 years, half of people will be doing something new, while the rest will be engaged in jobs that somewhat resemble today’s professions,” he stated.

The Price of Competition

Altman and his competitor, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, found themselves in an awkward situation when they did not hold hands during a group photo of political and tech leaders at the India AI Impact Summit. The photo quickly circulated online.

Source: CNBC.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and other participants held hands, while Altman and Amodei raised their fists.

The companies recently exchanged “jabs” regarding the potential use of advertising in AI models.

Anthropic mocked OpenAI during the Super Bowl, highlighting the integration of ads in the ChatGPT chatbot in a series of videos.

Altman called the videos misleading and described such marketing tactics as “in the spirit of Anthropic.”

OpenAI Valued at $850 Billion

Bloomberg reported that OpenAI is close to raising over $100 billion at a valuation of $850 billion. Initial funding will come from:

  • Amazon — discussing investments of up to $50 billion;
  • SoftBank — preparing to invest $30 billion;
  • Nvidia — considering an investment of around $20 billion;
  • Microsoft.

Later, venture and sovereign funds will join, increasing the total amount raised.

However, CNBC has slightly different information. Journalists reported that Nvidia is ready to invest up to $30 billion, but at a valuation of $730 billion. This potential deal is not related to the $100 billion infrastructure agreement announced in September.

Recall that in February, OpenAI launched advertising in ChatGPT for adult users of the basic Go plan and those without a paid subscription.