Jun 30, 2026
For workers who spent the last two years stressing about whether their job would survive the AI revolution, Sam Altman has some reassuring news — but there’s a catch.
The OpenAI chief executive officer recently admitted he was “pretty wrong” about AI’s impact on the job market. Speaking at a Commonwealth Bank of Australia conference, Altman confessed he had expected far more disruption to entry-level white-collar jobs than what we’ve actually seen.
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“I’m delighted to be wrong about this,” Altman said. “I thought there would have been more impact on entry-level white-collar jobs being eliminated by now than has actually happened.”
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His reversal is notable. On the Uncapped podcast — hosted by his brother Jack — Altman had proclaimed only a year ago that “a lot of jobs will go away” because of AI. Now, he says the catastrophic displacement he feared simply hasn’t happened.
For Canadian workers and investors watching this unfold, the good news is that the evidence so far backs him up. However, the fear hasn’t entirely disappeared, either.
Why the change?
Altman says he began rethinking his belief as he noticed a persistent “human part” of working that AI couldn’t comfortably replace. He experimented with having an AI chatbot manage his email and Slack messages, but eventually returned to handling those exchanges himself.
“We really do care about our interactions with people and this thing, which is a huge amount of my time, is not something that I can imagine myself outsourcing to an AI anytime soon,” he said.
It’s also worth noting that OpenAI confidentially filed its initial public offering (IPO) registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in late May 2026. Analysts tracking the deal estimate public listing could potentially push the company past a US$1 trillion market capitalization. Painting the company’s technology in a less alarming light could support that goal.
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Some agree. Some don’t
Altman isn’t alone in softening his position. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei — who once predicted AI could eliminate as many as 50% of white-collar jobs — now suggests automation may actually expand the scope of human work. Anthropic, also, is eyeing a public listing.
However, AI job losses continue to make headlines. Recently, Meta laid off 8,000 employees, a decision made at least in part by AI’s ability to handle tasks previously done by people. Pinterest, Amazon and Dow have also cited the technology as the reason behind recent workforce reductions.
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And Mercer’s Global Talent Trends 2026 report — surveying approximately 12,000 C-suite executives, human resources leaders and employees globally — found that 99% of the chief executive officers surveyed expect AI to lead to at least some cutback in human resources in the next two years. Further, only 32% of those same executives believed they could optimally integrate both human and machine capabilities.
The Canadian picture is different — for now
For workers in Canada, the evidence tells a more measured story — one that reflects Altman’s revised optimism more than the boardroom anxiety seen in global surveys.
Statistics Canada data published in January 2026 found that from November 2022 — when generative AI tools became widely available following the launch of ChatGPT — through December 2025, overall employment in Canada continued to grow.
During the same period, the share of Canadian businesses using AI to produce goods or deliver services doubled, rising from 6% in 2023 to 2024, to 12% in 2024 to 2025. Yet the percentage of those AI-adopting businesses that actually reduced employment because of AI held steady at just 6% across both periods.
A second October 2025 Mercer survey of 462 Canadian employers found that only 1% cited AI and automation as a reason for reduced hiring, while 62% reported no significant change to hiring volumes despite AI adoption over the prior 12 months. Just 3% said they were actively planning headcount changes related to AI.
“While AI is changing the way many employees and companies work, there’s still a critical need for human beings to use the tools and provide their judgment,” said Mercer’s president Teresa Palandra, commenting on the Canadian survey results.
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That doesn’t mean Canadian workers are untouched. StatCan research — conducted with the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC) — estimated that around 60% of Canadian workers are employed in occupations with high exposure to AI. Of those, roughly 31% are in roles where AI may be able to perform key tasks outright, while the remaining 29% work in roles where AI is more likely to serve as a support tool.
Employment growth has also been notably weaker for younger and less-educated workers since 2022. Tricia Williams, research director at the Future Skills Centre, a Canadian labour-market research hub, has noted a measurable shrinkage in roles for clerical and administration. “We’re already seeing fewer positions [in clerical and administrative work], because a lot of those tasks are being complemented by AI,” Williams said.
The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2025 Future of Jobs Report provides the broadest global view: by 2030, approximately 92 million jobs are projected to be displaced worldwide, offset by roughly 170 million new roles — a net gain of 78 million positions. However, 41% of employers globally anticipate reducing their workforce where AI can automate tasks.
What Canadian workers can do now
The data suggests Canada is, so far, experiencing transformation more than elimination. But the window to prepare is open now, and the workers best positioned for the next decade are those who use it strategically.
Identify whether your role is AI-competing or AI-augmenting
The Conference Board of Canada uses StatCan’s exposure index to model how AI is likely to affect specific roles — offering employers and workers a clearer picture on where the risks and opportunities lie. If your work involves codifiable, routine or rules-based tasks, you’re more likely to be in an AI-competing role and should actively pursue supplementary skills.
Pursue upskilling through available Canadian programs
The Canada Job Grant provides up to $10,000 for every employee in government-matched funding for skills training. UpSkill Canada, a program under the Business and Higher Education Roundtable (BHER), connects workers with employer-supported digital skills development.
Protect your income if AI does affect your employment
Employment Insurance (EI) provides a temporary safety net for workers who lose a job through no fault of their own, including AI-related layoffs. Workers affected by automation may also qualify for the Canada Training Credit (CTC) — a refundable tax credit of up to $250 a year, with a lifetime limit of $5,000, to help cover the cost of eligible training.
Build the skills AI can’t replicate
Altman’s own experience — a return to managing his own correspondence — underlines a broader truth: judgment, authenticity, relationship-building and leadership remain difficult for AI to replace. These are worth investing in deliberately, whether through professional development, mentorship or expanded responsibilities.
Understand that today’s calm will pass
Statistics Canada’s data shows Canadian employment held firm through 2025. But Altman himself didn’t rule out that his initial forecast “still may” come true. The WEF projects that nearly 40% of core job skills globally will change by 2030, making upskilling urgent and necessary to keep up with AI expansion. Waiting is a strategy — it’s just not a particularly safe one.
-With files from Melanie Huddart
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Chris Morris is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience at many of the internet's biggest news outlets. In addition to his activities as a writer, reporter and editor, Chris is also a frequent panel moderator and speaker at major conferences, including CES and South by Southwest.
