‘AI agents’ | OpenAI CEO: We could be working alongside virtual employees by the end of 2025

OpenAI CEO: We could be working alongside virtual employees by the end of 2025

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has predicted that our workplaces could be home to virtual employees – or ‘AI agents’ – by the end of 2025.

In a blog post published Monday, the tech executive asserted his belief that these agents will transform how work is completed.

“We believe that, in 2025, we may see the first AI agents ‘join the workforce’ and materially change the output of companies,” he wrote.

OpenAI CEO says AI agents could offer workplaces ‘great outcomes’

His business, OpenAI, is expected to launch an AI agent later in January, while other organizations like Microsoft and Anthropic have already rolled out AI agent products.

Altman added his belief that putting “great tools in the hands of people” will result in “great, broadly-distributed outcomes,” in which he includes a “massive” increase in abundance and prosperity.

Many major employers including Microsoft, McKinsey, Mastercard, and Klarna reported gains in time savings in 2024 through the rollout of AI bots. Microsoft, for example, revealed the introduction of an HR Virtual Agent bot saved 160,000 hours for HR service advisors by answering employee’s routine questions.

Financial institutions have also leaned into the use of AI tools to improve employee productivity. Citigroup, for example, has rolled out two AI products to 140,000 employees to automate and simplify processes, including the summarization of documentation.

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But recent AI product releases, as well as reports on OpenAI’s forthcoming Operator tool show that the technology is rapidly becoming more advanced. In November, Bloomberg reported that Operator will be able to take actions such as producing code or booking travel on behalf of a person.

While some may have concerns about the introduction of AI agents into our workplaces, Altman indicated his belief that a gradual progression toward AI adoption is the safest approach for businesses and society as a whole.

“We continue to believe that the best way to make an AI system safe is by iteratively and gradually releasing it into the world, giving society time to adapt and co-evolve with the technology, learning from experience, and continuing to make the technology safer,” he wrote.

Altman addresses board fallout and talent exodus

The executive also appeared to address the somewhat tumultuous year OpenAI had in 2024, characterized by a series of high-profile resignations, including safety researchers, and a controversy around non-disclosure agreements.

Altman argued the attrition was natural given the speed of OpenAI’s growth. “The last two years have been like a decade at a normal company,” he reflected. “When any company grows and evolves so fast, interests naturally diverge.”

Earlier in the letter, OpenAI’s CEO also mentioned his controversial sacking and re-appointment by the company’s board in November 2023. The sudden ousting was attributed to concerns about his approach to safety and his workplace conduct.

In the blog post, Altman described it as a “dream gone wrong.”

“Getting fired in public with no warning kicked off a really crazy few hours, and a pretty crazy few days,” he continued. “The whole event was, in my opinion, a big failure of governance by well-meaning people, myself included. Looking back, I certainly wish I had done things differently.”

The executive reiterated his belief that, in a world where we could soon be working alongside AI colleagues, diverse viewpoints and “good governance” with “a lot of trust and credibility” are paramount.

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