OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman has said that AI will take over up to 40% of the tasks humans perform today, but it will not replace people entirely. Speaking to the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, Altman explained that automation will change how jobs are done and create new opportunities rather than eliminating employment.
“I think 30 to 40% of the tasks that people do today could be done by AI in the near future,” Altman said. “That does not mean we lose 40% of jobs. It means people’s jobs change. And there will also be many new jobs created.”
AI and Superintelligence
Altman believes AI models will surpass human capabilities in several fields, including scientific research, by 2030. “It would be surprising if we don’t have extraordinarily capable models that can do things humans cannot,” he said, noting that OpenAI’s GPT-5 already feels “smarter than me in many ways.”
Despite AI’s growing power, Altman emphasized that uniquely human qualities such as empathy, creativity, and understanding others’ intentions will remain irreplaceable. “Machines will never be the centre of the story,” he said. “Human concerns, goals, and values have to stay at the core.”
Altman also raised concerns about global threats to democracy and freedom of expression, warning that AI’s safe deployment depends on alignment with human values to avoid unintended consequences.
OpenAI’s Future Plans
Looking ahead, OpenAI is exploring hardware devices that could transform how people interact with computers, moving beyond traditional screens and keyboards. Altman stressed that OpenAI’s governance, rooted in its non-profit structure, aims to prioritize long-term safety and societal benefit over short-term profits.
“AI will reshape the world,” he said. “The challenge is to ensure it does so in a way that strengthens human freedom and possibility, not undermines it.”
