Sam Altman: AI will make coders busier, not replace them
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing workplaces, and the rise of AI tools has fuelled concerns that many jobs could eventually disappear. Software developers are among those watching the shift closely. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes coders should not be too worried about being replaced by AI. Instead, he expects developers to become busier as AI takes over routine tasks.
In a recent 45-minute interview with podcaster Matthew Berman, Altman spoke about the impact of AI on professional roles and rejected the idea that coding jobs are headed for extinction.
“Coders are never going to be busier than they have been and coders are never going to have more of an impact and make more money,” Altman said.
AI could change how developers work
Altman believes AI will take care of many repetitive aspects of software development, allowing humans to focus on more complicated and valuable work. Rather than reducing the need for developers, he argues that faster and cheaper software development could create demand for more applications and digital services.
The reasoning, according to Altman, is fairly simple: when people have tools that save time, they tend to use that extra capacity to take on more work. Developers may therefore find themselves managing multiple projects, directing AI systems, reviewing their output and tackling larger technical challenges.
This view is also shared by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who has dismissed concerns about AI eliminating coding careers. Huang recently noted that “software engineers are busier than ever.”
Mathematics could be a different story
Altman on the hand said that math might not take the exact same route, as software coding. Artificial intelligence tools are getting better at solving math problems and coming up with complex answers. AI systems are getting better at solving math problems and coming up with complex answers.
OpenAIs models have recently attracted attention for progress on challenging questions. OpenAIs models have worked on the Navier-Stokes equations, which describe how fluids such, as air and water move. AI has also been credited with solving a math problem linked to mathematician Paul Erds.
Altman believes that AI could eventually take on much of the mathematical work involved in discoveries and proofs. Human mathematicians may then spend time understanding AI-generated results and determining how those findings can be applied in the real world.
Tech layoffs continue despite AI optimism
Altman feels sure about what will happen with coding in the future. This is happening at a time when the technology industry is going through a lot of job losses. Big companies, like Meta, Oracle, Amazon and Microsoft have said they are cutting jobs in 2026.
Many of these cuts have been blamed on restructuring saving money and shifting business goals of directly replacing workers with AI. The layoffs have sparked questions as companies keep spending billions on AI and still invest heavily in AI.
Altman sees the picture: technology can spark new demand even while it changes existing jobs. AI can speed tasks. Reduce costs yet people will still be needed to guide the technology assess its results and apply it in everyday life. I wonder whether the current AI boom will create fresh opportunities to make up for the jobs it changes or eliminates. That question still lingers in the technology industry.