Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently made headlines during an interview at DevDay 2025 when he stated that jobs displaced by AI might not qualify as “real work.” His remark has sparked widespread discussion and debate across the tech and labor sectors, raising questions about what real work means in an AI-driven world.
So, what exactly did Altman mean and why is his statement stirring such a reaction? Let’s dive into it.
The Context Behind Altman’s Claim
Sam Altman, the visionary behind OpenAI (the parent company of ChatGPT), has long been outspoken about AI’s transformative power. During a public interview, he addressed growing concerns about AI’s impact on employment, a topic that has echoed through history since the Industrial Revolution.
Public anxiety around job displacement surged in the 2020s following the rapid rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. In some cases, companies have even reduced their workforce in favor of automation.
While that’s true, Altman’s message goes beyond acknowledging job loss. According to the World Economic Forum’s Jobs and the Future of Work report, AI could displace up to 92 million jobs by 2030 — but also create around 170 million new ones.
Altman’s point is clear: rather than fixating on job displacement, society should focus on the opportunities AI will unlock. Many of the roles being automated today are repetitive, routine, and low-value tasks. From an economic standpoint, deploying AI to handle such tasks is often faster and more cost-efficient than human labor.
“About every 75 years, half of the jobs in society change, even without AI,” Altman noted. “With AI, that cycle is accelerating. I can easily imagine a world where 40% of today’s economic tasks are handled by AI in the future.”
The pattern isn’t new. Just as accountants transitioned from abacuses to calculators, and later to specialized software, today’s workforce must adapt again. The faster individuals reskill and embrace new tools, the easier it will be to seize those millions of emerging opportunities.
Why Altman’s Statement Sounds Controversial
Telling someone their job isn’t “real work” because it can be replaced by AI can sound dismissive, even demeaning. People who have dedicated years to such roles understandably feel frustrated or undervalued.
While jobs like data entry, customer service, or assembly-line work may be repetitive, they’ve long served as vital sources of livelihood for millions. And though industries may adapt quickly to AI integration, the human transition often lags behind, creating real emotional and financial strain.
What This Means for the Future of Work
For years, the dominant word in AI discussions has been “replacement.” But the more accurate term is “displacement.” While AI will automate some tasks, it will also generate entirely new categories of work that demand creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence, areas where humans still hold the edge.
Workers engaged in routine, rule-based roles face the highest automation risk. Yet, this isn’t the end of the road. It is a call to evolve. Upskilling in areas that complement AI, rather than compete with it, is the key to long-term career resilience.
Employers and governments will need to prioritize adaptability, offering training and policies that help workers transition effectively. The AI era isn’t about machines replacing humans, it’s about humans leveraging machines to unlock innovation.
Ultimately, the question is shifting from “Will my job survive?” to “How can I do work that only a human can do?”
In the end, the future of work won’t be defined by what AI takes away, but by how we choose to grow with it.
See also, our other article on OpenAI: https://phronews.com/2025/10/24/openai-to-allow-erotica-content-in-chatgpt-for-verified-adults-from-december/
