Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, acknowledged that artificial intelligence is transforming the job market, but cautioned that not all layoffs attributed to AI are genuinely driven by the technology. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit on Thursday, Altman told CNBC-TV18 that while AI is genuinely displacing certain roles, some companies are using it as a justification for workforce reductions they had already planned. “I don’t know what the exact percentage is, but there’s some AI washing where people are blaming AI for layoffs that they would otherwise do,” Altman said. “And then there’s some real displacement by AI of different kinds of jobs.” He added that the true impact of AI taking over tasks and roles will become increasingly evident in the coming years. Altman emphasized that while AI will disrupt existing jobs, it will also create new opportunities. He believes people will adapt and find new forms of work, though the transition may be challenging for many. Several major companies, including Amazon, IBM, Salesforce, and HP, have cited AI as a factor in recent workforce reductions. However, there is no concrete evidence that these companies are engaging in “AI washing”—a term used to describe the practice of exaggerating AI’s role in business decisions. In many cases, these companies were already undergoing restructuring or cost-cutting measures. Altman, whose own company develops AI tools that automate tasks across industries, has consistently warned that AI will reshape employment. He has previously stated that the technology will lead to significant job displacement, particularly in routine and knowledge-based roles. Other AI leaders have echoed similar concerns. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, predicted last year that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, recently noted that he’s already observed a slowdown in hiring for junior positions at his company, pointing to AI’s growing influence on workforce planning. As AI continues to advance, the conversation around its impact on employment is evolving—balancing genuine disruption with the reality that some companies may use AI as a convenient narrative for decisions rooted in broader economic or strategic shifts.