Sam Altman says he’d be ashamed if OpenAI isn’t first company led by an AI CEO

OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman has said he would be ashamed if his company were not the first to be led by an AI-powered CEO, adding that he regularly contemplates what conditions would allow an artificial intelligence system to manage OpenAI more effectively than he does. Speaking on the Conversations with Tyler podcast, he explained that he often wonders what needs to change for an AI to reach that level of decision-making capability and leadership competence.

Altman stated that while such a milestone is not yet within immediate reach, he believes it could happen within single-digit years, predicting that AI will soon be capable of running an entire department at OpenAI. He remarked that his focus is not only on building advanced models but also on accelerating the moment when AI can assume meaningful executive responsibilities within an organisation.

Reflecting on life beyond his current role, Altman said he already has plans for when that transition eventually arrives. He mentioned that he spends part of his time at his farm, which he described as one of his favourite places, where he enjoys driving tractors and harvesting crops.

Before the meteoric rise of ChatGPT, Altman said he had more leisure time to spend on the farm, although his growing commitments to OpenAI have since reduced those opportunities. Over recent years, he has purchased several properties, including multimillion-dollar homes in San Francisco and Napa, California, along with a $43 million estate on Hawaii’s Big Island.

Altman also reflected on the broader societal impact of artificial intelligence, acknowledging that AI will eliminate many jobs in the short term but asserting that, like past technological revolutions, it will eventually create entirely new forms of work. He said he remains confident that humanity will adapt and find novel pursuits as AI reshapes industries and economies worldwide.