AI energy efficiency comparisons ‘unfair’ bleats Sam Altman, citing amount of energy needed to evolve, then train a human
Research commissioned by OpenAI and Anthropic claims that workers are more efficient when using AI
His comments follow a recent National Bureau of Economic Research survey of executives that showed that, far from being ready to boost productivity for businesses, 80% of the executives queried found that AI wasn’t having any impact on productivity or, indeed, on employment numbers. That’s despite the warning calls from others in the AI space, including from Microsoft AI boss Mustafa Suleyman, who believes AI will be ready to replace white-collar jobs within 18 months.
As for AI washing, the data seems to support Altman’s view. A recent Yale Budget Lab report , using population survey data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, suggests that there hasn’t been a significant change in occupation changes or in the average length of unemployment from ChatGPT’s release up until November 25. If businesses are scrapping jobs because of AI, this data appears to suggest that it isn’t happening on a grand scale just yet.
A lot of money is resting on AI’s success; however, with over $258 million of global venture capital invested in 2025 in the technology, and with businesses investing in AI needing to justify that investment. Regardless, Altman’s comments are unlikely to offer much relief for those employed in the roles at most risk from AI, with uncertain waters ahead.
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Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/premium
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/openais-sam-altman-warns-that-firms-are-using-ai-washing-to-mask-layoffs-across-the-globe-ai-boss-calls-out-corporate-excuses-while-warning-of-palpable-job-disruption-ahead#main
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.