OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pushed back against the growing narrative that artificial intelligence is driving widespread job losses, arguing instead that companies adopting AI most aggressively are also hiring the most.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC ahead of a major 1-gigawatt data centre groundbreaking near Detroit, Altman said firms heavily investing in AI are expanding their workforce rather than shrinking it.
He added that companies publicly blaming AI for layoffs are often those least engaged with the technology. “The companies, as a general rule, that are talking about doing layoffs because of AI are the ones adopting AI the least,” he said.
The remarks come amid ongoing tech sector job cuts that have fuelled debate over AI’s real impact on employment.
Altman also said his views have evolved after observing how tools like OpenAI’s Codex are used in real-world workflows. He noted that while AI excels at specific tasks, it still struggles with long-term planning, supervision and complex project execution.
He criticised “AI washing”, where firms attribute layoffs to AI even when other factors are involved, suggesting the technology is sometimes used as a convenient explanation.
Separately, Altman reflected on earlier messaging around GPT-5.2, saying OpenAI should have clarified that it outperformed professionals only in “small tasks” across 44 occupations, not full roles.
