Altman Rejects AI Job Apocalypse Fears at CBA Conference

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dismissed fears about an impending global job apocalypse due to artificial intelligence at a Commonwealth Bank of Australia conference in Sydney. He told CBA Chief Executive Matt Comyn that his initial concerns about the technology eliminating entry-level white-collar jobs have been unfounded, stating he was “delighted” to be wrong.

Altman explained that AI lacks the ability to replace human interaction and touch, which are crucial aspects of employment. He emphasized that while AI can handle some tasks, it is unlikely he would outsource his interactions with people anytime soon.

His comments come amid growing anxiety over mass layoffs driven by AI, as companies like Amazon, Standard Chartered, CBA, and HSBC have announced job cuts in favor of AI roles. On Monday, Anthropic co-founder said there’s a real possibility that AI could displace human labor on a large scale, while Meta laid off 8,000 employees to adopt AI for efficiency and productivity.