After warning of AI job losses, Sam Altman now says AI is creating jobs

Sam Altman said companies adopting AI most aggressively are also hiring the most. His remarks add to a more cautious debate over whether AI is truly driving layoffs or being used to explain them.

In Short

• Sam Altman says major AI adopters are hiring more
• OpenAI CEO questions linking layoffs directly to AI
• AI leaders are rethinking the job-loss narrative

For the past few years, the conversation around artificial intelligence has sounded almost apocalyptic. Tech leaders, researchers and industry experts repeatedly warned that AI could replace large numbers of workers, automate entire professions and fundamentally reshape the job market. But the narrative is beginning to change now. Even as major technology companies continue to cut jobs, some of the biggest names in AI are questioning whether artificial intelligence is actually the reason behind those layoffs. Among them is OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who recently pushed back against the growing belief that companies adopting AI are automatically reducing their workforce.

"The companies that I know that have adopted AI the most are also the ones hiring the most," Altman said.

He went even further, arguing that companies publicly blaming AI for layoffs are often not the ones making the biggest investments in the technology.

"And the companies, as a general rule, that are talking about doing layoffs because of AI are the ones adopting AI the least," he added.

Altman made the remarks in an interview with CNBC before participating in the groundbreaking ceremony for a massive 1-gigawatt data center located about 50 miles southwest of Detroit.

From "AI will replace workers" to "AI helps workers"

The comments mark a notable shift from the broader conversation that dominated the AI boom.

Not long ago, predictions about AI replacing humans were everywhere. Today, however, a growing number of AI leaders are emphasising a different reality: AI may be making workers more productive rather than eliminating the need for them.

Altman believes his own understanding has evolved after watching businesses use OpenAI's coding tools, including Codex.

"I think I underestimated how jagged these models are going to be," he said.

According to Altman, AI systems can perform certain tasks exceptionally well, but they still struggle with long-term planning, supervision and managing complex projects from start to finish.

Is AI becoming a convenient explanation for layoffs?

Altman has also criticised what he calls "AI washing" — the practice of attributing layoffs to artificial intelligence even when the technology may not be the primary reason.

During the interview, he suggested that AI can sometimes become a convenient explanation for workforce reductions that might have happened anyway.

That does not mean AI will have no impact on employment. Altman himself says he is still uncertain about the technology's long-term effect on jobs.

But compared with earlier warnings, his outlook has become noticeably more optimistic.

A wake-up call after a violent attack

The shift in tone did not happen overnight.

In April, Altman survived an attack in which a man allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at him with the intention of killing him. Authorities said the attacker was motivated by hatred toward artificial intelligence technology.

Following the incident, Altman addressed the growing anxiety surrounding AI. He acknowledged that people have legitimate reasons to be concerned.

"We are in the process of witnessing one of the largest changes to society in a long time, and perhaps ever," he said.

At the same time, he suggested that the public conversation around AI may have sometimes overstated what the technology can currently do.

Regretting some of AI's biggest headlines

Altman also admitted that OpenAI may have contributed to fears about job losses through some of its own messaging. He pointed to a December press release about GPT-5.2 that claimed the model "outperforms professionals across 44 occupations." Looking back, Altman said he wished the company had communicated that achievement more carefully.

"What I wish we had said then is that it outperforms professionals at small tasks in 44 occupations," he explained.

The conversation is becoming more nuanced

After the attack on Altman, OpenAI's global policy chief, David Lehane, also acknowledged that the company needs to do a better job communicating both the benefits and risks of AI. He warned that some of the public discussion around the technology has not always been responsible and can have serious consequences.

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