Sam Altman: Even CEO Jobs are Unsafe From AI
Across organisations, employees are questioning what automation means for their job security and career paths.
Research from Acas shows that one in four workers fear they may lose their jobs because of AI, and that anxiety is now extending to the CEO role.
At the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, sets out a stark assessment of how far the technology could go. He argues that AI superintelligence – systems designed to exceed human cognitive ability across a broad range of tasks – may ultimately outperform even the most senior executive.
He says: “AI superintelligence at some point on its development curve would be capable of doing a better job being the CEO of a major company than any executive, certainly me”.
Altman adds that such capability may not be far off. “On our current trajectory, we believe we may be only a couple of years away from early versions of true superintelligence.”
This marks a significant shift for workforce planning, with businesses looking to reshape their operations as AI transforms the way tasks are completed.
Rethinking executive responsibility
In an episode of the MD MEETS podcast in October 2025, Sam expanded on his view of AI's role in leadership.
He said: “there will come a time when AI can be a much better CEO of OpenAI than me, and I will be nothing but enthusiastic the day that happens.
“It doesn’t scare me, it doesn’t make me sad, it’s just like I did this one thing that has been automated and I wanted it to be automated and that’s kind of what we’re doing.”
This perspective challenges traditional ideas of leadership as uniquely human, rooted in judgement, experience and interpersonal skill. It also prompts reflection on what remains distinctly human in corporate governance if data analysis, forecasting and scenario planning increasingly sit with algorithms.
Evidence suggests that senior leaders are already embedding AI into core processes.
A study from Capgemini finds that chief executives are the most active AI experimenters within the C-suite. The report links this pattern to demands for agility at work. AI systems continuously assess decisions against real-time data, enabling leaders to alter strategic direction at speed.
Some executives go further by formalising AI’s role in strategic thinking. Matt Blumberg, CEO of Markup AI, describes building an AI-powered board of directors to test his decisions before formal meetings. In a LinkedIn post in January, he says: “Instead of looking at AI only as a tool for productivity, I wanted to see how it could help me think differently about strategy and feedback.
“My team and I created AI versions of leaders we admire, loaded them with detailed context and let them act as thought partners before real board meetings.”
Workforce adoption and anxiety
At the same time, adoption among employees lags well behind executive use. Dayforce’s 16th Annual Pulse of Talent survey highlights a pronounced divide. While 87% of executives report using AI at work, only 27% of employees say the same.
The survey points to limited transition support as a factor. Just 16% of workers state that they receive training on AI in their workplace. Yet 67% say it is somewhat or very important for them to develop AI skills. The appetite for capability development appears strong, but structured learning does not always follow.
The research also indicates that unease reaches senior ranks. Forty-two per cent of senior leaders say they would have chosen a different career path if they had considered how AI might affect job security. Automation therefore shapes not only operational roles but also perceptions of long-term professional stability.
Sam maintains confidence in the broader trajectory of work. Speaking at the AI Growth Summit, he says: “We always find new and better things to do. I’m confident we will keep being driven to be useful to each other, to express our creativity, to gain status, to compete and much more.”
