The rise of artificial intelligence is set to restructure workplaces worldwide and programming and customer service jobs are the first in line, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said. Speaking on The Tucker Carlson Show, the 40-year-old explained which roles AI could replace and which will remain uniquely human.
Jobs That May Be Lost To AI
"A job that I feel way less certain about what the future looks like for is computer programmers," he said. "The meaning of being a computer programmer today is very different than it was two years ago. You're able to use these AI tools to be hugely more productive."
While AI has made coding more accessible through natural language prompts and automated tools, Altman said that the impact on programmers remains unclear. Despite this uncertainty, the ongoing global demand for software may offset potential job losses, as AI could also create new opportunities in tech, he said.
"I'm confident that a lot of current customer support that happens over a phone or computer, those people will lose their jobs, and that'll be better done by an AI," he explained.
AI systems can handle repetitive queries more efficiently, providing faster and more consistent service than human operators, he said.
Jobs That Won't Be Affected
But not all customer service roles are at equal risk, he said. Positions requiring empathy, nuanced judgement, or reassurance, especially for vulnerable customers, may still need human involvement.
"A job that I'm confident will not be that impacted is, like, nurses. People really want the deep human connection with a person. No matter how good the advice of the AI is or the robot or whatever, you'll really want that," he said.
Altman also predicted rapid changes in customer service staffing, a diversion from his earlier belief that human customer service would vanish entirely. He said human interaction was important in certain scenarios. "No matter how good the advice of the AI is or the robot, you'll really want that," he said.
"No one can predict the future. But we can try to identify areas where AI can add the most value, and understand where humans remain irreplaceable," he said.
