Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, appeared on the Huge If True podcast recently and had a surprisingly positive take on the future of Generation Z, saying that now, as he would be graduating college, he would feel like the luckiest kid in all of history. His comments follow a rising tide of fear about AI-induced job losses, with projections that as many as half of all entry-level white-collar positions may be lost in the coming five years.
These concerns were acknowledged by Altman, who admitted that some classes of jobs will completely disappear. But he emphasized that youth is historically the most flexible and can best take advantage of the AI age. He believes that with tools such as GPT-5, people will be able to start world-changing products or companies with few resources, which in the past would have necessitated huge teams and tremendous capital. This democratization of innovation, he believes, might enable Gen Z to reinvent the meaning of entrepreneurship.
Although the loss of traditional jobs is a real possibility, Altman is optimistic that new jobs will be created, something he calls the super well-paid, super interesting job. A job that we cannot yet imagine. He even went as far as to suggest that a college graduate in the next ten years may be training to go on a mission to explore the solar system, which shows how AI can open up whole new vistas.
His remarks are in line with the larger changes in the labor market. Jan Hatzius, chief economist at Goldman Sachs, has observed that the safety premium of a college degree is narrowing and recent college graduates are having a hard time even with a generally strong job market. Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that in July 2025, almost half of layoffs were related to AI and technology updates.
In addition to employment, Altman discussed social changes related to AI, such as the increasing difficulty of identifying real and fake content. He forecasted that the definition of the word “real” will still change and challenged individuals to embrace the use of AI tools early in order to remain ahead of the curve.
Altman is not naive about the dangers of AI; however, he is optimistic. He has cautioned against dangers such as voice-imitating fraud, urging humility and preventative measures. In the end, he thinks that adaptability, creativity, and the ability to deal with the unknown will be the key to success in this rapidly evolving environment, and Gen Z may be abundantly equipped with this skill set.
