- Sam AltmanAI remarks reignite debate over what counts as real work
- Critics say his comments dismiss vulnerable jobs as automation reshapes modern employment
- Supporters argue Altman highlights AI’s role in removing repetitive and low-value tasks
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is well known for making bold statements, like his claim a child born in 2025 is unlikely ever to be as smart as artificial intelligence.
His latest comments about AI, this time referring to its impact on the future of work, have again sparked outrage online.
Speaking on stage at OpenAI’s DevDay event in a live interview with AI newsletter founder Rowan Cheung, Altman responded to a question about how a farmer from 50 years ago might view today’s jobs.
Not real work
Altman replied, “The thing about that farmer… [is that] they very likely would look at what you do or I do and say, ‘that’s not real work.’”
He continued, “If you’re… farming… you’re doing something people really need. You’re making them food, you’re keeping them alive. This is real work. You people of the future, life just got too easy for you.”
AI may take your job, but Altman says “I think we’ll find plenty of things to do.”
His suggestion that many modern roles might not qualify as “real work” inevitably drew widespread condemnation online with people accusing Altman of dismissing the jobs most at risk of being automated.
Some view his comments as emblematic of a growing divide between the creators of AI systems and the workers most affected by them.
Others, however, argue that Altman’s remarks touch on a broader truth about how much of today’s employment is built around repetitive or bureaucratic tasks.
As Tom’s Hardware points out, these are typically roles which the late anthropologist David Graeber once described as “bullshit jobs,” and which many workers secretly believe add little social value.
Studies since have offered mixed support for that claim, suggesting feelings of futility are often linked to poor management rather than the jobs themselves.
Altman’s phrasing may once again have been a little blunt, but his underlying point is difficult to deny. AI is more likely to replace repetitive tasks rather than entire professions.
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waynewilliams@onmail.com (Wayne Williams)
