OpenAI CEO Sam Altman: ‘maybe we do need less software engineer’

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently said that students entering a workforce increasingly reliant on AI should focus on mastering AI tools. In an interview with Stratechery's Ben Thompson, Altman said “The obvious tactical thing is just get really good at using AI tools. Like when I was graduating as a senior from high school, the obvious tactical thing was get really good at coding. And this is the new version of that."
Altman also addressed the long-term impact of AI on software engineering jobs.
"My basic assumption is that each software engineer will just do much, much more for a while. And then at some point, yeah, maybe we do need less software engineers," he said, referencing OpenAI’s hiring strategy.
He added that AI-driven job displacement would not happen suddenly but would accelerate over time.
"It kind of just seeps through the economy and mostly kind of like eats things little by little and then faster and faster," Altman said.

For students preparing for careers, Altman recommended focusing on adaptability and the ability to learn rather than specific technical skills.
"Whatever specific thing you're going to learn, like learn these general skills that seem like they're going to be important as the world goes through this transition," he said.
In the interview, Altman stated that AI already handles a substantial portion of coding. "I think in many companies, it's probably past 50% now," Altman said in the interview. "But the big thing I think will come with agentic coding, which no one's doing for real yet."
When asked about barriers to agentic coding, Altman responded, "Oh, we just need a little longer," adding that the issue was related to AI models rather than product development.