At a recent conference, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, made some perplexing remarks: for him, some jobs threatened by AI may not be “real work.” This provocative statement comes at a time when automation is already reshaping our relationship with employment. Millions of positions are at stake, and Altman’s comments raise a harsh question: does the value of your work lie in its utility or its humanity?
When Sam Altman Distinguishes Real Work from “Modern Office Games”
OpenAI’s leader likely did not anticipate that three casually thrown words would spark such controversy. Yet, during DevDay and in response to Rowan Cheung, he stated: “Many jobs today are not real work. They’re just games.”
A game, really? When one spends their days managing projects, responding to emails, creating PowerPoint presentations, or coordinating meetings, it’s hard not to take it personally. But Altman clarifies: he refers to a historical perspective. In his view, a farmer from the 1970s would not recognize these activities as “real work” compared to food production or physical labor.
His message isn’t about devaluing these jobs but suggests that AI may well replace certain low-value tasks. Should we take offense? Or could we see it as an opportunity to rethink our relationship with productivity?
Automation Progresses: Which Jobs Are Already in the Crosshairs?
This isn’t a futuristic theory. Amazon plans to automate up to 600,000 jobs in its U.S. warehouses by 2033. These are repetitive, often tedious roles that robots could perform faster and without fatigue. The promise? Massive savings and doubled activity.
Other sectors are following suit. Customer service, level 1 IT support, HR roles, accounting data entry… Everywhere, generative AIs are chipping away at basic tasks. A Stanford study highlights that junior positions in these fields are among the first affected.
But it isn’t employment that is disappearing. It’s low-value activities. According to Altman, the idea is to “free” humans for more strategic, creative missions. Yet, access to these new roles is essential. And training is needed to fill them.
Sam Altman’s Provocative Statements: Provocation or a Necessary Awakening?
By stating that some modern jobs are “games,” the CEO of ChatGPT stirs the pot. He compels us to question: what constitutes real work today? Is it a useful task? A social function? A physical or intellectual effort?
Some may find his words harsh, even disdainful. However, they can also be viewed as a call not to retreat into the comfort of the familiar. For as AI disrupts routines, it leaves us with a choice: to evolve, to reinvent ourselves, or to endure.
And perhaps the future does not lie in the fear of replacement, but in rediscovering what is irreplaceable about being human: nuance, intuition, empathy, and the quest for meaning. Not a game. A journey.
