Sam Altman said OpenAI is intentionally slowing the pace of its hiring as advances in AI allow the company to do more with a smaller workforce. Speaking during a live-streamed town hall aimed largely at developers, the OpenAI CEO explained that while the company will continue hiring, it plans to grow far more cautiously than in the past.
Altman stressed that OpenAI is not freezing recruitment or moving toward eliminating human roles. Instead, he said AI has changed how much headcount is truly needed. “We are planning to dramatically slow down how quickly we grow because we think we’ll be able to do so much more with fewer people,” he said, responding to a question about whether AI has altered OpenAI’s interview and hiring process.
He also warned against aggressive hiring followed by sudden layoffs once companies realize AI can handle large portions of the work. According to Altman, a slower, more deliberate approach avoids forcing workers into “very uncomfortable conversations” later on. “The right approach for us will be to hire more slowly but keep hiring,” he added.
Altman’s comments come at a time of broader concern about the labor market. US job growth has cooled significantly, with unemployment rising to its highest level since 2021 and job openings down sharply from their 2022 peak. Long-term unemployment has increased, and younger workers have been hit particularly hard, facing some of the highest unemployment rates since the post-pandemic recovery.
Against this backdrop, Altman positioned OpenAI’s hiring strategy as a response not only to AI’s growing capabilities, but also to a shifting economic environment where efficiency and stability matter more than rapid expansion.