Jul 12, 2026
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman now says AI could create more jobs than it eliminates. Altman wrote he's "pretty sure" AI has been net job-creating so far. "This is not what I expected," he added, having previously warned that the impact could happen so fast that it's "potentially a little scary." Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has also walked back earlier statements, now calling automation a productivity multiplier rather than a job killer. He had also previously claimed AI would take over large portions of entry-level office jobs within a very short time, a claim that drew attention but little sympathy.
From job apocalypse to job engine: Altman adjusts his AI forecast. | Image: Screenshot
No studies so far show a significant AI impact on overall measured productivity or the labor market. A recent multi-university study found that the job crisis among programmers and copywriters started in early 2022, months before ChatGPT launched. The Yale Budget Lab also found no AI-related job market shifts.
AI-related layoffs have still happened, though. In some cases, money earmarked for workers got redirected to AI hardware. In others, companies needed an excuse that would play well with shareholders.
