Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, sparked considerable debate during his recent appearance at the DevDay conference. In a conversation with AI newsletter creator Rowan Cheung, Altman made a provocative assertion regarding the nature of work in an era dominated by large language models (LLMs). He suggested that many jobs disappearing due to this technological shift may not have constituted “real work” in the first place.
Reflecting on how a farmer from five decades ago might perceive contemporary employment, Altman remarked, “The thing about that farmer… [is that] they very likely would look at what you do and I do and say, ‘that’s not real work.’” While he conveyed that this revelation makes him “a little less worried,” he also expressed heightened concern about the implications of this view, contrasting it with agriculture, which he described as essential, stating, “If you’re… farming… you’re doing something people really need. This is real work.”
Altman’s comments have ignited a firestorm on social media, where he has been criticized for being dismissive and even dystopian. However, he is not the first to question the value of modern jobs. The late anthropologist David Graeber’s influential essay, “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs,” posited that many individuals in contemporary workplaces secretly feel their roles are meaningless. This idea resonated widely and culminated in a bestselling book in 2018, pointing out that large segments of the economy are bogged down by meaningless bureaucracy.
Yet, data does not fully support Altman’s viewpoint. A 2021 study from the European Social Survey found that only about five percent of respondents considered their jobs to be useless, while a similar U.S. study indicated that closer to twenty percent felt this way. Both studies concluded that feelings of futility often stemmed from issues related to management and workplace culture rather than the inherent value of the roles themselves. A dysfunctional work environment can make even valuable tasks feel futile, but such roles do not deserve to be eliminated.
Moreover, Altman’s comments hint at a broader truth: while most jobs have meaningful purposes, many are encrusted with tasks ready for automation. Compliance checklists, unnecessary reports, and redundant communications—these are the types of tasks LLMs can effectively handle. When Altman states that these models will reduce tasks, not just jobs, he touches upon an important point that could significantly reshape the workforce landscape.
As society grapples with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, the conversations stirred by Altman’s remarks highlight the need to reassess and define what constitutes meaningful work. Embracing automation could lead to a future where human labor is more focused and valued, ultimately fostering more fulfilling job roles.