Sam Altman Criticizes CEOs Claiming AI Will Take Jobs as 'Tone Deaf'
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that CEOs claiming AI will take away everyone's jobs are "tone deaf."
He shared an example he heard yesterday: someone completed in one hour what took weeks two years ago using GPT 5.5 Codex, yet the individual is busier than ever.
Altman believes AI greatly enhances productivity but does not reduce jobs; instead, it makes people busier.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
Sam Altman has repeatedly emphasized that AI is a tool for productivity rather than a replacement. His public criticism of the "AI unemployment theory" continues his stance on promoting large-scale AI adoption, similar to past communications that downplayed unemployment risks while highlighting efficiency gains during the promotion of the GPT series.
In terms of capital pathways, OpenAI's coding tools like Codex allow developers and CEOs to significantly increase output, leading companies to invest more in AI procurement and deployment. The motivation is to make users "busier" rather than unemployed, thereby expanding subscriptions and corporate revenue.
Historically, computers and the internet have enhanced productivity without causing mass unemployment. This statement marks a critical phase in the narrative shift from "threat theory" to "productivity revolution" regarding AI.
Essentially, this involves technological replacement and capital concentration: AI first replaces repetitive labor and then amplifies human output. The mechanism is that the exponential increase in productivity allows individuals to handle more tasks, leading companies to expand rather than lay off employees. Pricing power shifts to AI platforms that can significantly enhance the efficiency of high-value employees, with funds flowing from traditional companies worried about unemployment to leaders that actively embrace AI.
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
The more productivity surges, the busier people become.
AI takes away old jobs but creates more new ones.
Those fearful of unemployment often miss out on productivity dividends.