Sam Altman: ‘Listening to old people is biggest mistake’ for youth in AI era

“Listening to old people is the biggest mistake young people make,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said at IIT Delhi, urging students to trust their own instincts as artificial intelligence reshapes the job market.

Even as his comment drew laughter from the audience, the social media buzzed with mixed responses. While acknowledging the invaluable role parents play in imparting life values, he cautioned that traditional career advice may not work as effectively in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

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OpenAI CEO warned students against relying on older generations to predict the future of work. “For a predictor of what the world is going to be like going forward, I don’t think you should trust me for good intuition about the rate of change,” he said, adding that young individuals are often better at adapting to future job requirements.

AI vs humans

On fears that AI could displace workers, Altman struck a balanced note. He said it was unrealistic to be either fully optimistic or fully fearful. “Some roles will disappear, but history shows new ones tend to emerge — often faster than expected. Many students today, will end up in professions that do not yet exist,” he added.

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He highlighted how AI tools are already amplifying individual capability, enabling a single motivated person to accomplish what once required large teams. Entire sectors, from education to healthcare, are set for transformation, and future companies may be lean operations powered by vast computing infrastructure.

Advice to students

Altman urged students to take risks and cultivate resilience, noting that risk aversion can limit opportunity. "Most people, especially in India, are averse to risk," he said, quoting himself. "My willingness to fail allows me to succeed."

His central advice was to stay at the cutting edge of AI tools. Students should constantly build, experiment and test ideas, as the capabilities of technology are compounding rapidly. Those who remain close to the frontier, he suggested, will gain an enduring advantage.

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While answering a question about what India would look like in 2047 when the country completes 100 years of independence, Altman predicted that the next generation will grow up with “superintelligence” at their fingertips, a world where today's notion of being smarter than a computer no longer applies.