Sam Altman Says AI Can Replace Interns, But Gen Z Is Already Treating It Like A Work Buddy

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said AI can now perform entry-level employee tasks, while Gen Z workers increasingly view artificial intelligence as a workplace companion rather than competition, as tech leaders predict the first billion-dollar single-person company could emerge next year.

What Happened: Altman told a panel with Snowflake CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy that AI agents can effectively handle intern-level work today, with capabilities expanding rapidly. “Today (AI) is like an intern that can work for a couple of hours, but at some point it’ll be like an experienced software engineer that can work for a couple of days,” Altman said, reported Fortune.

The 40-year-old CEO predicted AI will soon discover new knowledge and solve complex business problems autonomously. Meanwhile, 51% of Gen Z workers view generative AI as a co-worker or friend, compared to 40% of millennials and 35% of older generations, according to Resume.org survey data.

Altman noted generational differences in AI usage: “Older people use ChatGPT as a Google replacement. Maybe people in their 20s and 30s use it as a life advisor, and then, like people in college, use it as an operating system.”

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang reinforced the adoption imperative, warning, “You’re not going to lose your job to an AI, but you’re going to lose your job to someone who uses AI” at the Milken Institute conference.

See Also: Dell Rated ‘Underperform’ As Growth Set to Subside In ‘The Second Half:’ HP Deemed More Compelling By Analyst

Why It Matters: AI development carries direct market implications for workforce sectors. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated the first billion-dollar company staffed by one person will appear in 2026, affecting revenue-per-employee ratios and investor valuations.

Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya stated engineers’ roles will become “supervisory, at best, within 18 months,” recommending parents direct children toward philosophy, psychology, and English writing over coding. AI prompt engineers earn salaries up to $335,000 without technical backgrounds.

Companies now prioritize AI skills over traditional experience, with OpenAI’s Operator agent offering “hands-free” workflows while Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google integrates Gemini 2.5 Pro into Chrome for task automation.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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