OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has voiced concerns that various companies are exploiting artificial intelligence as a pretext for layoffs that may have occurred regardless of AI advancements. In an interview with CNBC, he noted, “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.”
Altman anticipates that automation’s influence on the job market will increase over time, leading to the emergence of new job types alongside the adaptation of existing roles. He noted that while some jobs may vanish, many will evolve rather than disappear entirely. He pointed out that roles requiring human interaction, such as nursing, are likely to be less impacted by AI than technical jobs.
“I recently heard that half of jobs don’t disappear but rather transform every 75 years,” he remarked, envisioning a future where a significant portion of the workforce engages in roles that resemble today’s professions.
Altman also commented on the recent dynamics between OpenAI and its competitor, Anthropic, highlighting a tense moment during a group photo at the India AI Impact Summit where he and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei did not participate in a group gesture that included other leaders. This tension comes amid public jabs between the two companies regarding AI advertising practices.
