Altman tells Stanford students to try new things in AI era
The OpenAI CEO said people with drive and new skills tend to do well when the playing field is shaken up.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said young people entering the workforce in the AI era should try new things rather than follow old success formulas, in a recent lecture at Stanford Graduate School of Business, according to TechRadar.
Altman criticized MBA students for trying to pursue what looked impressive five years ago, and called the present a very good time to do something new. He said the current labor market should be seen as a time of opportunity rather than uncertainty.
He added that many tasks people do today will be handled better, cheaper and faster by AI, and that people with potential, drive, ideas, new perspectives and new skills tend to do relatively well when the playing field is shaken up.
Altman also said many companies larger and more important than OpenAI could be built on top of the technology his company has released.
Earlier comments on AI and work
In May 2026, Altman rejected claims that the spread of AI would lead to a "jobs apocalypse." In July 2026, he said that despite expectations AI would raise productivity and efficiency, rapid changes to society and the way people work may not appear immediately. Altman dropped out of university at 19 and started the location-based social networking app Loopt in 2005; in 2015 he co-founded OpenAI with Elon Musk.
Quick answers
What did Sam Altman say at Stanford Graduate School of Business?
He said young people entering the workforce in the AI era should try new things rather than follow old success formulas, and that the current labor market should be seen as a time of opportunity.
What did Altman say AI will do to everyday tasks?
He said many tasks people do today will be handled better, cheaper and faster by AI.
What did Altman say about new companies built on OpenAI technology?
He said many companies larger and more important than OpenAI could be built on top of the technology OpenAI has released.