OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Says AI Job Loss Predictions Were Overstated

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said this week that his prior predictions about AI removing large numbers of white-collar jobs had been overstated. Speaking at a Commonwealth Bank of Australia event, Altman stated that the short-term impact on entry-level positions had been less severe than he once anticipated.

"I'm delighted to be wrong about that," Altman said, according to a summary published Tuesday by the bank.

Altman had previously warned that AI would cause "entire classes" of jobs to disappear. In a 2023 Atlantic interview he said jobs were "definitely going to go away," while adding that new roles would likely emerge. Last year he told a Federal Reserve conference that entire categories of employment would vanish.

Insider reported that some companies, including Block, Snap, and Meta, have cited AI in recent layoff announcements. Altman noted in February that firms may attribute cuts to AI even when other factors are involved. Altman said companies should continue to discuss potential workforce effects openly, even when those forecasts later prove incorrect.

"I believe that so much of society here is going to be impacted by this, that we are all stakeholders, and it is better for us to be going in the direction of too much transparency and occasionally being wrong," he said.