While most people are out here worried about AI taking people’s jobs and what it might mean for the future, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman is shrugging his shoulders and saying “so?”
Ok, maybe not in so many words, but still.
OpenAI makes popular chatbots that, according to Altman, will phase out half of the workforce every 100-150 years.
“I’m not afraid of that at all. In fact, I think that’s good. I think that’s the way of progress, and we’ll find new and better jobs.”
Altman has always had a shrugging response to people losing their jobs in favor technology replacements, and often frames it as inevitable and in the end, for the greater good.
He does admit that “something” will have to be done as AI and people transition into and out of roles, but isn’t sure what.
“It is not enough just to give people a universal basic income. People need to have agency, the ability to influence. We need to jointly be architects of the future.”
Altman, it should be noted, seems to waffle fairly regularly on whether his technology will save the world or ultimately destroy it.
So when it boils down to it, he’s in the same boat as the rest of us.
Even though he’s the one who constructed the giant hurricane looming on the horizon.
No word on whether or not Congress will enact stricter controls or continue to let the industry pretty much police itself – but if we’re waiting on our current lawmakers to look to the future and make the right call, well…
You can take it from there.