OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has acknowledged that the benefits of AI may not be evenly distributed and could disrupt the balance between capital and labor. In a recent blog post, he suggested ideas like a “compute budget” to make AI accessible to everyone.
However, he admitted that technology alone may not solve inequality, and new approaches will be needed. While AI is improving economic and social metrics, it is also impacting jobs, raising concerns about mass unemployment.
Altman reiterated his belief that artificial general intelligence (AGI) is near, defining it as an AI system capable of solving complex problems at a human level across various fields. He emphasized that AGI would still require human oversight and that its true value lies in its large-scale deployment.
Altman noted that AI development is becoming increasingly expensive, with OpenAI reportedly raising to $40 billion and planning a $500 billion investment in infrastructure. However, he pointed out that while advancing AI remains costly, access to powerful models is becoming more affordable.
He highlighted Chinese AI companies like DeepSeek as evidence that training costs are declining. Despite this, both Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei agree that significant investments are necessary to reach AGI.
He hinted at making tough decisions on AI safety, even if unpopular. Previously committed to stopping competition if another responsible AGI project emerged, OpenAI has since shifted toward a profit-driven model, aiming for $100 billion in revenue by 2029.
Altman stressed the importance of AI for individual empowerment while preventing misuse by authoritarian regimes. He acknowledged OpenAI’s shift away from open-source models but suggested the company may need to find a balance between transparency and security. His blog post comes just before the AI Action Summit in Paris, where global leaders are discussing the future of AI.
