Sam Altman Says AI Won’t Replace Coders—But Will Make Them 10x More Productive
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says he’s “less interested in replacing coders” and more focused on making them ten times more productive. In a recent interview with entrepreneur Varun Mayya, Altman stressed that there’s still a massive global demand for software.
New Tools, Not Job Losses
Addressing the fear of AI taking over jobs, Altman clarified that while some roles will likely disappear—particularly in areas like customer support—most will evolve. “AI will do end-to-end tasks in some sectors,” he said, “but for others, it will act as a tool that enhances human productivity without compromising quality.”
He pointed to graphic designers as an example. While AI tools have changed the design process, the need for skilled designers remains because “taste still matters.” Just as designers adapted from pen and paper to digital tools, AI will now reshape their workflow—but won’t replace them entirely.
A Glimpse Into Future Jobs
One of the more interesting takeaways was Altman’s mention of new job categories emerging thanks to AI. “Prompt Engineer” was cited as a job that didn’t exist before AI models became mainstream. He said this is just one example of how AI is creating roles rather than simply removing them.
Website design was another example he discussed. While AI can help build the site, human involvement will still be needed to ensure the final product meets rising expectations. “The bar for how good something should look is going to get way higher,” he said.
Altman on ChatGPT’s Image Tool and More
Altman also discussed OpenAI’s image generation tool, calling it a success. We all know how the internet was flooded with images created with it. While discussing it, he didn’t mention specific usage numbers, but he said they are on track to surpass the one billion images generated milestone soon.
Apart from that, ending on a personal note, Altman said his initial vision of AI was almost “sci-fi”—one that would transform society overnight. But the reality has been more grounded. “It’s just this new powerful tool,” he said, adding that life mostly goes on as usual. And he’s happy about that.