Sam Altman predicts virtual employees will transform workforces this year

OpenAI is reportedly planning to launch an AI agent codenamed “Operator” for booking travel and coding

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Virtual employees powered by artificial intelligence could soon be joining workforces, with the first AI agents potentially starting work this year, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

In a blog post published on Monday, Altman outlined how AI firms are pushing forward with applications that could deliver returns on the substantial investments made in the technology.

Microsoft, a major backer of OpenAI, has already announced the introduction of AI agents—autonomous tools capable of carrying out tasks without human intervention.

McKinsey, the global consulting giant, is among the early adopters, developing an AI agent designed to process client inquiries and schedule follow-up meetings. McKinsey predicts that by 2030, up to 30% of hours worked in the US economy could be automated.

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

OpenAI itself is preparing to launch an AI agent codenamed “Operator” this month. Operator will be capable of tasks such as writing code and booking travel, marking a significant step towards integrating AI into everyday work functions.

This comes after Microsoft introduced its Copilot Studio product and AI rival Anthropic launched the Claude 3.5 Sonnet AI model, which can perform basic tasks on a computer, including moving a mouse cursor and typing text.

AI agents are seen as a potential game-changer for industries, with many companies now working on their own virtual assistants to improve productivity.

The potential for AI agents to evolve is also clear in recent developments from Microsoft’s head of AI, Mustafa Suleyman, who has suggested that such agents could soon be capable of making purchasing decisions. Although there have been challenges along the way, Suleyman believes the full potential of AI agents could be realised “in quarters, not years.”

In his blog post, Altman also touched on OpenAI's long-term ambitions, revealing that the company is now focused on advancing towards “superintelligence”—an AI that surpasses human intelligence. He described this future vision as one that could accelerate scientific discoveries and innovation, massively increasing prosperity and abundance. "With superintelligence, we can do anything else," he wrote.

Progress towards AGI

Altman also revealed that the company is now confident it knows how to build Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) as it has traditionally been understood. AGI is considered a long-sought milestone in the tech industry, representing AI systems capable of performing tasks at a human-like level of intelligence.

In his latest remarks, Altman stated that OpenAI has achieved a critical understanding of how to develop AGI. The company’s focus is now shifting towards “superintelligence,” which Altman believes will accelerate innovation and increase prosperity on a global scale.