Artificial Intelligence has become an integral part of our daily lives and is transforming the way industries operate. From predictive analytics to advanced automation, AI is not merely a passing tech trend but a considerable disruptor in the workforce. At a recent meeting hosted by the Federal Reserve, Sam Altman expressed his concern that AI could significantly affect employment, particularly in the customer service and healthcare sectors.
Altman specifically addressed the looming threat to AI and customer service jobs. He explained how modern AI systems now manage customer calls with minimal delays and errors.
“Now you call one of these things, and AI answers. It’s like a super-smart, capable person. There’s no phone tree, there’s no transfers,” Altman said. “It does everything that any customer support agent at that company could do. It does not make mistakes.”
The 24/7 availability with instant response makes artificial intelligence an ideal alternative for cost-conscious companies. The shift is already underway, as businesses are replacing traditional call centers with AI automation tools, gradually moving away from human-based support.
Not only customer service, but Altman believes Artificial Intelligence could become a game-changer in the healthcare sector. Tools like ChatGPT medical diagnosis models have already shown strong performance in evaluating symptoms and recommending treatments.
“ChatGPT today, by the way, most of the time, can give you better—it’s like, a better diagnostician than most doctors in the world,” Altman added.
With the potential to address ethical questions and regulatory issues, AI that reduces errors and provides quicker analysis beckons.
It is a complex debate on the rise of Artificial Intelligence. On one side, AI is empowering decisions made at the speed of thought and giving rise to smarter systems, facilitated by tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. On the other hand, jobs that once felt secure are now at risk.
Past technology revolutions have not only created new jobs but also eliminated old ones; hence, AI poses a unique threat to job displacement. An increasing gap between human capabilities and machine-level accuracy indicates a scenario in which digital assistants will handle more than just repetitive work.
While innovation pushes boundaries, it is time to strike a balance with AI and use it ethically. In the future, the workforce may need to move away from tasks to supervisory, analytical, and creative work—skills that machines still can't master.