To Thrive in the AI Era: Altman’s Advice to Students

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has urged students to develop expertise in AI tools to prepare for the future of technology. Speaking about the increasing role of artificial intelligence, Altman noted that over 50% of coding tasks in several companies are already being performed by AI. He stated that AI usage is expected to grow even more in the coming years, and students should focus on acquiring AI-related skills to remain relevant in the evolving job market.

Altman emphasized that just as learning to code was essential when he was in high school, becoming proficient in AI tools is equally important today. He pointed out that acquiring skills in the AI sector can lead to promising career opportunities.

Many companies are already leveraging AI for coding tasks. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei estimated that within the next six months, AI could generate up to 90% of all code. Similarly, OpenAI Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil predicted that AI might surpass human capabilities in coding by the end of this year.

Altman also commented that if AI continues to advance, the demand for software engineers could decrease. Although there is still a strong demand for engineers at present, he noted that as AI becomes capable of performing more tasks, the necessity for human engineers may decline. However, he clarified that job displacement due to AI would not happen immediately but would gradually spread across various sectors.

Therefore, Altman advised students to stay prepared and willing to learn new technologies to adapt to the changing landscape.