At a recent developer event, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared his thoughts on the future of artificial intelligence, its impact on jobs, and the evolving concept of AGI during a conversation with a popular tech news host. He also spoke about the growing trend of “AI workslop” and why he feels “envious” of Gen Z college dropouts.
In a 30-minute video discussion, Altman revealed that he and his friends have a light-hearted betting pool on when the first one-person billion-dollar company will appear, powered by AI. However, he added that the discussion has now shifted toward the idea of a “zero-person company,” where AI systems could eventually manage every aspect of business operations without human involvement.
When asked about his definition of artificial general intelligence (AGI), Altman explained that it would be achieved “when it outperforms humans at most economically valuable work.” He admitted that the concept remains unclear since people have different interpretations of what AGI might look like. Altman emphasised that AGI could help humans make major and minor discoveries or offer new perspectives, especially in fields such as science and mathematics.
“I don’t want to overstate or understate it either, but this is like the thing. And the fact that we are at the very beginning of that and that we are optimistic will be able to push hard on it in the coming months and years, like that is a big deal,” he said.
Addressing the issue of AI workslop, Altman compared AI to any other tool, stating that its impact depends on how it is used. “The economy is self-correcting, and people and companies that use tools to get more done will have more ability to influence the future than people who use it slow organisations down and do less,” he explained.
According to a recent study by a business journal, AI workslop refers to “AI-generated work content that masquerades as good work but lacks the substance to meaningfully advance a given task.” Such content often proves unhelpful or incomplete, creating additional work for others.
Altman also reflected on his early days as a college dropout, saying he is “envious of the current generation of 20-year-old dropouts” who can now build far more with available technology. He shared that he left Stanford University two decades ago after studying computer science for two years, and added, “The degree to which OpenAI is, like, taking over all of my mental space, and I don’t get to go think about how to build a new startup, is a little bit sad.”
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