OpenAI CEO Says AI Unlikely to Cause Mass Job Losses

OpenAI's chief executive said Tuesday that rapid development of artificial intelligence would not produce a global "jobs apocalypse" and that the technology had displaced fewer white-collar roles than anticipated. Speaking at a Commonwealth Bank of Australia conference in Sydney, the executive noted initial concerns about AI's effect on employment levels.

The executive said OpenAI's technological forecasts made at the 2022 launch of ChatGPT had proven roughly accurate, while predictions about social and economic effects had been off.

"I'm delighted to be wrong about this," the executive told the bank's chief executive in an interview. " The executive added that human interaction remains a core component of many jobs that AI cannot replace. The executive cited personal experience reverting to direct email and messaging rather than delegating those tasks to AI.

The executive did not provide specific job-loss figures.

Earlier statements from the company have referenced potential industry-wide reductions tied to AI adoption. Several major firms, including HSBC, Amazon, Standard Chartered, and Commonwealth Bank of Australia, have reported replacing some positions with AI systems.

OpenAI is preparing to file confidentially for a U.S. initial public offering, according to prior reporting. "I don't think we're going to have the kind of jobs apocalypse that some of the companies in our space advocate or talk about," the executive said.