Altman: AI Jobs Apocalypse "Pretty Wrong" Amid IPO Push

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has walked back his earlier warnings about AI replacing most jobs. He now says he was "pretty wrong" about an AI jobs apocalypse. This shift comes as OpenAI aims for $280 billion in revenue by 2030. Altman points to research from the Yale Budget Lab, showing no significant unemployment changes for workers in high-AI-exposure jobs through March 2026. He also found that people still value authentic human interaction. The high cost of AI is another factor. Uber reportedly used its entire 2026 Claude budget in just four months, and Microsoft canceled some internal AI licenses due to expenses. When AI costs more than people, mass job replacement becomes less appealing. Some, like Peter Wildeford from the AI Policy Network, suggest this change in messaging could be strategic. Public opinion shows many Americans feel negative about AI, and companies need to balance transformative promises with social acceptability, especially as they eye large valuations. The bottom line is that the impact of AI on jobs is still evolving, and these changing narratives affect how we understand its future.