OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has spoken about how artificial intelligence could affect different professions in the future. While admitting that no one can predict the future with complete certainty, Altman said he feels confident that some jobs will be replaced by AI, while others may remain unaffected.
Speaking in an interview, Altman said, “I’ll caveat this with the obvious but important statement that no one can predict the future. If I try to answer that precisely, I will say a lot of dumb things, but I’ll try to pick an area that I’m confident about and then areas that I’m much less confident about.”
He explained that customer support roles, especially those managed over phone or computer, are at high risk of being taken over by AI systems. “I’m confident that a lot of current customer support that happens over a phone or computer, those people will lose their jobs, and that’ll be better done by an AI. Now, there may be other kinds of customer support where you really want to know it’s the right person,” he said.
On the subject of computer programmers, Altman admitted he is uncertain about the future. With AI tools now allowing even non-coders to create websites and games, questions have been raised about the demand for programmers. “A job that I feel way less certain about what the future looks like for is computer programmers. What it means to be a computer programmer today is very different than what it meant two years ago. You’re able to use these AI tools to just be hugely more productive,” Altman explained. He added that while demand for software is still growing, it is unclear what the situation will look like in the next decade.
Altman also pointed to nursing as a profession unlikely to be replaced by AI, due to the need for empathy and human connection. “A job that I’m confident will not be that impacted is like nurses. I think people really want the deep human connection with a person… No matter how good the advice of the AI is or the robot or whatever. You’ll really want that,” he said.
His remarks echo earlier views expressed by other AI leaders who have also noted that while technology may assist doctors, the role of nurses is far harder to replicate due to its human-centred nature.
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