OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes the world may be on the cusp of creating artificial superintelligence, and in some ways, that future is already here. In a blog post published Wednesday, Altman wrote, “In some big sense, ChatGPT is already more powerful than any human who has ever lived.”
As a central figure in the AI boom, Altman has been vocal about the rapid pace of development in the field. “Robots are not yet walking the streets,” he noted, but emphasized how quickly AI capabilities are progressing.
The post outlines Altman’s vision for how AI might shape the next decade. “The 2030s are likely going to be wildly different from any time that has come before,” he said. “We do not know how far beyond human-level intelligence we can go, but we are about to find out.”
OpenAI, backed by tech giant Microsoft, is racing to lead that future. The company recently announced a $6.5 billion acquisition deal aimed at building “a new generation of AI-powered computers.” At the same time, competitors such as Alphabet (GOOGL), Apple (AAPL), and Meta (META) are unveiling new AI tools that promise to reshape the daily lives of their users.
While AI’s potential grows, Altman also addressed the environmental and economic implications. He revealed that “an average ChatGPT query uses about 0.000085 gallons of water, or roughly one fifteenth of a teaspoon.” He continued, “People are often curious about how much energy a ChatGPT query uses; the average query uses about 0.34 watt-hours, about what an oven would use in a little over one second, or a high-efficiency lightbulb would use in a couple of minutes.” Altman argued that “the cost of intelligence should eventually converge to near the cost of electricity.”
OpenAI did not immediately respond to inquiries about the methodology behind these figures. Meanwhile, researchers have warned that AI’s energy demands could soon exceed that of Bitcoin mining. A recent analysis by The Washington Post found that a 100-word email generated using GPT-4 consumed “a little more than 1 bottle” of water, with usage varying by data center location.
Altman also touched on AI’s potential to disrupt the job market. He acknowledged that “whole classes of jobs” could disappear but expressed confidence in humanity’s adaptability. “People are capable of adapting to almost anything,” he wrote, suggesting that the pace of technological change might push governments to revise existing policies.
Looking ahead, Altman even envisioned a world where robots might construct other robots to perform physical-world tasks. Still, he believes some aspects of human life will remain constant. “In the most important ways, the 2030s may not be wildly different,” he concluded. “People will still love their families, express their creativity, play games, and swim in lakes.”
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