OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman believes the next decade will redefine what a career even looks like, but not without significant disruption first. Speaking in a recent interview, Altman painted a future where today’s students could step into entirely new, highly paid professions by the mid-2030s, while also acknowledging that artificial intelligence will wipe out many traditional roles along the way.
Altman described the period ahead as potentially the most exciting time in history to start a career. In his view, a student graduating around 2035 may not enter a conventional job market at all. Instead of applying for office roles or climbing corporate ladders, they could find themselves working in industries that barely exist today, with salaries and opportunities far beyond current norms.
He suggested that some of these roles could be tied to space exploration and other frontier technologies, describing a scenario where graduates might join missions to explore the solar system in jobs that are not only intellectually stimulating but also exceptionally well paid. According to Altman, these kinds of opportunities will emerge once AI systems take over large parts of today’s routine and knowledge-based work.
However, his optimism came with a clear caveat. Altman was blunt in acknowledging that the transition will not be smooth. The promise of sky-high salaries and exciting new careers comes only after AI has fundamentally reshaped the labour market. Many early-career roles, especially those built around repetitive or predictable tasks, are likely to disappear entirely before new categories of work take their place.
Altman said he feels envious of people starting their careers now, particularly those in Gen Z, because they are entering the workforce at the very beginning of this transformation. From his perspective, they will be better positioned to adapt, experiment, and ride the wave of change as AI-driven tools become more powerful and widespread. He even joked that future generations may feel sorry for today’s professionals, who had to endure what he described as boring, old-fashioned work compared to what lies ahead.
At the same time, Altman did not shy away from discussing his own role in an AI-driven future. In a separate conversation earlier this year, he openly admitted that he expects AI to eventually replace him as chief executive. Rather than seeing this as a threat, he framed it as a goal. Altman said he would consider it a failure if OpenAI is not among the first major companies to be run by an AI system at the top level.
He has spoken about regularly thinking through what it would take for an AI to outperform him in leading the organisation. In his assessment, the timeline may be shorter than many expect. Altman believes it is only a matter of a few years before AI systems are capable of running major departments within OpenAI, handling decision-making, strategy, and execution at a level comparable to senior human leaders.
Taken together, Altman’s comments reveal a consistent worldview. He sees AI as a force that will first destabilise existing structures before creating entirely new ones. High salaries and exciting careers are not guaranteed simply because AI exists. They emerge only after societies, companies, and individuals pass through a period of painful adjustment where familiar jobs vanish and new skills become essential.
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