AI Will Eliminate Occupations and Will No Longer be a Supplement for People: Sam Altman

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has frequently stated that his creation, ChatGPT, can be deadly if not regulated. He has said multiple times that he is afraid of the AI chatbot, and more recently, while in India, he stated that he does not believe all of ChatGPT's answers. AI technology undoubtedly has limits and could be flawless. However, since its inception in November 2022, it has come a long way and will continue to do so. 

Rapid Progress of AI tools such as ChatGPT

Given the rapid progress of AI tools such as ChatGPT, many individuals, including computer experts, have raised concerns about the technology eventually replacing humans in their employment. And in certain circumstances, this has already begun to occur. While some people are concerned that ChatGPT and other AI tools may replace them in their work, others are dismissive, claiming that it will only assist humans in completing their tasks more efficiently and will not be a substitute. However, Sam Altman believes that technology would 'absolutely' eliminate jobs. 

According to Sam Altman, AI will eliminate jobs. Altman recently told The Atlantic that AI's impact on humanity would not be favourable. He told the publication that while many people working on AI 'lie' that it will solely be for the betterment of humans, it will just be a supplement to them and will not displace anyone at their employment. That, however, is not the case.  "Jobs are going away, full stop," Altman predicted. 

Aside from that, he disclosed that OpenAI could have produced something even more potent than ChatGPT, but the public would have needed to prepare for such a leap. 

"We could have gone off and just built this in our building here for five more years, and we would have had something jaw-dropping," he remarked, adding that the public would not have been prepared for the shock that followed and the conclusion is 'unpleasant' to contemplate.

According to Altman, people need time to come to terms with the idea that a powerful new intelligence might coexist with humans in the future, and ChatGPT was a "way of serving notice." 

When Altman visited India

Sam Altman visited India in June this year and spoke about AI taking away human employment. In an interview with the Economic Times, Altman stated that while some employment will be lost due to AI, others will be created. When questioned if AI might result in employment losses, the CEO stated, "Every technological revolution results in a job change." We can adjust to any degree of labour market change in two generations, and there are new jobs that are usually better. That will happen here as well. Some positions will be eliminated. There will be new, better jobs that are currently unimaginable.” 

In an interview with Business Today, Altman stated that it is "amazing to watch India embrace AI" and that OpenAI intends to "build AI startups in India." He also discussed artificial intelligence regulation, saying it should be done to maintain vital innovation.