OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on X on July 11, saying, “At least for now, I’m fairly certain that AI overall has created job opportunities,” and added that “this is not something I expected to happen.” However, Anthropic’s economic index tracking shows that for young people aged 22–25 in high-risk occupations, the rate of finding a new job is about 14% lower than in 2022.
Altman: Quite confident AI overall creates jobs, less pessimistic than others
According to Altman’s public posts on X, on July 11, 2026, he wrote: “At least for now, I’m fairly certain that AI overall is creating jobs. This is not what I expected to happen, even though I’m less pessimistic than others, and I think that at our current level of capabilities, we’ll see some impact. It’s possible this direction continues!”
Previously, Altman warned last year that entry-level white-collar jobs were in serious danger. On May 26, 2026, at the CBA forum in Sydney, he said he was “completely wrong,” and added, “I’m glad I was wrong.” Analysts said the timing of this stance shift closely matches OpenAI’s IPO push progress, and the market’s overall view of AI is on the negative side.
Anthropic data: Young people in high-risk jobs aged 22–25 have employment rates 14% lower
Based on Anthropic’s economic index tracking, for young people aged 22–25 in high-risk occupations, the rate of finding a new job is about 14% lower than in 2022. For this age group, the number of employed people in the highest-risk occupations declined by about 13% from November 2022 to December 2025. The main cause was not that current workers were laid off in large numbers, but that companies quietly shut the window for hiring new people—making it hard for newcomers to find a way in. This means that while overall unemployment hasn’t surged, the invisible barriers in the workplace are quietly squeezing young people’s opportunities.
Share of highest-risk occupations and 2026 layoff numbers
According to Anthropic’s data, the occupations most likely to be affected by AI (i.e., those with the highest risk exposure) include:
Computer programmers: 74.5%
Customer service representatives: 70.1%
Data entry clerks: 67.1%
Medical records specialists: 66.7%
Financial and investment analysts: 57.2%
All of these are traditional entry-level white-collar job openings. At the same time, from 2026 to date, 179 companies have laid off more than 113,000 employees—about 825 people per day—which is about 33% faster than the same period in 2025. Of those, about 48% have been explicitly blamed on AI by the companies.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sam Altman’s latest statement about AI’s impact on jobs?
According to Altman’s post on X on July 11, 2026, he said, “At least for now, I’m fairly certain that AI overall is creating job opportunities,” and called it something he didn’t expect. As early as the May 2026 speech in Sydney, he also said his prediction that AI would replace jobs was “completely wrong.”
What does Anthropic’s research show about AI’s impact on jobs?
Based on Anthropic’s economic index tracking, the rate at which young people in high-risk occupations aged 22–25 find new jobs is about 14% lower than in 2022. And for this age group, the number of employed people in the highest-risk occupations declined by about 13% from November 2022 to December 2025. The main reason is that newcomers can’t find entry opportunities, rather than large-scale layoffs of current workers.
How have tech layoffs in 2026 been, and how much is attributed to AI?
According to reports, from 2026 to date, 179 companies have laid off more than 113,000 employees—about 825 people per day—about 33% faster than the same period in 2025. Of those, about 48% have been explicitly blamed on AI by the companies.
