At the Paris AI Summit, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared insights into artificial intelligence, its rapid evolution, and his vision for the future. But before diving into deep tech, we got a glimpse into Altman’s personal interests—starting with his favourite sci-fi movie.
When asked about a movie or personal experience that influenced his vision of technology, Altman didn’t pick the usual sci-fi blockbuster. Instead, he recommended Apollo 11, a documentary chronicling NASA’s historic moon landing mission.
“It’s one of the most inspirational movies for tech, hard engineering projects, and scientific discovery,” he said, adding that he “super strongly” recommends it.
Altman also spoke about artificial general intelligence (AGI), a term he has tried (and failed) to stop using. “It means something different to everybody, but it’s so embedded in how we talk about AI that I haven’t been able to stop,” he admitted.
While definitions vary, Altman believes AI is making undeniable progress. “If you compare what AI models were capable of two years ago versus today and project that forward, we’re on an incredible trajectory.”
A recent breakthrough, he noted, was OpenAI’s model capable of performing a “low single-digit percentage” of all economic tasks - a milestone few expected so soon. The implication? The next few years could be transformational.
Altman outlined key areas where AI is set to make significant leaps:
- Reasoning capabilities: Making models think more logically and solve complex problems.
- Agentic AI: Systems that can perform long, multi-step tasks autonomously.
- AI in Science: “If AI can help us write better code, that’s useful. But if it can find a cure for cancer or crack fusion energy, that’s world-changing.”
On a personal note, Altman shared a surprising revelation: he barely uses Google anymore. “I don’t do searches like I used to. There are specific cases, but for most things, AI answers what I need.”
While that doesn’t mean Google’s search empire is crumbling, it hints at a future where AI-driven interactions become the norm.
With AI adoption soaring, many companies talk about integrating it - but far fewer actually do. Altman acknowledged this gap and gave two key pieces of advice:
1. Efficiency gains: Businesses leveraging AI can drastically cut costs and increase productivity. “For 50 cents of compute, you can do work worth $500 or more.”
2. Building AI-first products: Companies should move beyond last year’s AI mindset and start imagining what's now possible.
OpenAI recently expanded its presence in France, a country Altman praised for its engineering excellence. “France is the only country that builds airplanes, trains, and nuclear plants—all at world-class levels,” he said. The Paris office will serve as a hub for research and AI talent, with plans for significant expansion.
Inevitably, Altman was asked whether OpenAI is up for sale. His response was firm: “No.”
“We’re an unusual organisation with a mission to make AI benefit all of humanity. That’s what we’re here for.”
As AI accelerates, OpenAI remains at the centre of the conversation. Whether it’s shifting how we search, redefining business operations, or advancing scientific discovery, Altman’s vision suggests AI’s most exciting days are still ahead.