Two years ago, I watched AI enter a phase of rapid transformation that I had never witnessed in my 20+ years of working with technology. Technologies I’ve worked on or used in the past were all designed to augment human intelligence—helping us make better decisions, move faster, or connect more effectively. But what AI has done in the last two years is fundamentally different. It’s no longer just a tool; it’s evolving into a collaborator, a creator, and perhaps even a new kind of workforce.

Sam Altman’s recent reflections on OpenAI’s journey capture the scale of this transformation. As someone who has closely followed OpenAI’s work, I resonate deeply with his observations, especially around AI agents joining the workforce in 2025, the proximity of AGI, and the leap toward superintelligence.

For many, this might sound abstract, even sci-fi. But here’s a simple way to think about it: Until now, technologies—like the internet or smartphones—served as tools in our hands. They were built to help humans achieve more, faster. AI is changing this. Soon, AI agents might become the only layer we interact with, handling tasks, making decisions, and interfacing with the tools we’ve built.

This shift is already happening in the virtual world—AI is coding, testing, and managing customer support. But imagine its impact in the physical world: humanoids in workplaces, drones delivering goods, autonomous vehicles everywhere. These aren’t distant possibilities; they’re the next logical steps.

This brings us to the big question: Are we ready?

  • How do we upskill and reskill the current workforce (blue-collar and white-collar alike)?
  • What does a human-AI collaboration look like in a world where AI handles most operational tasks?
  • How do we ensure this shift benefits society broadly rather than deepening divides?

We can’t afford to delay these conversations. A world where AI dominates tasks and decision-making isn’t decades away—it’s years away. And the time to prepare for this is now.

The technologist in me wants to keep exploring the technical side of this equation, but the human in me is curious to find the answers to the above questions.