OpenAI CEO Altman is now "pretty sure" AI is net job-creating, which is quite the pivot from predicting mass layoffs
Quick Answer
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman now believes AI is net job-creating, a shift from his previous warnings about mass layoffs.
Quick Take
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman now believes AI is net job-creating, a shift from his previous warnings about mass layoffs. Despite this optimism, studies show no significant impact on productivity or the labor market, with layoffs still occurring as companies redirect funds to AI hardware.
Key Points
- Altman now asserts AI creates more jobs than it eliminates.
- Previous claims of AI-induced job losses are being retracted by industry leaders.
- No studies confirm significant AI impact on productivity or job markets.
- Job crisis among programmers began in early 2022, pre-dating ChatGPT.
- Some layoffs are attributed to companies redirecting funds to AI investments.
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~1 min read
Jul 12, 2026
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman now says AI could create more jobs than it eliminates. Altman wrote he's "pretty sure" AI has been net job-creating so far. "This is not what I expected," he added, having previously warned that the impact could happen so fast that it's "potentially a little scary." Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has also walked back earlier statements, now calling automation a productivity multiplier rather than a job killer. He had also previously claimed AI would take over large portions of entry-level office jobs within a very short time, a claim that drew attention but little sympathy.
No studies so far show a significant AI impact on overall measured productivity or the labor market. A recent multi-university study found that the job crisis among programmers and copywriters started in early 2022, months before ChatGPT launched. The Yale Budget Lab also found no AI-related job market shifts.
AI-related layoffs have still happened, though. In some cases, money earmarked for workers got redirected to AI hardware. In others, companies needed an excuse that would play well with shareholders.
— Originally published at the-decoder.com
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