Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has delivered a powerful message to aspiring tech entrepreneurs: the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is creating an unparalleled opportunity to launch a company. In a recent interview with Garry Tan, the president of Y Combinator, Altman compared the current AI boom to other major technological shifts, such as the rise of mobile technology, the advent of the internet, and the semiconductor revolution. Each of these revolutions allowed entrepreneurs to do things that were previously unimaginable, and AI is no different.

Altman’s insight comes at a time when AI is advancing at a rapid pace, and its potential remains largely untapped. According to Altman, AI is developing much faster than many people realize, and there are still vast opportunities for businesses to leverage this technology to create new solutions. He pointed out that even some of the founders of billion-dollar companies have underestimated the speed and scale of AI’s growth. “Bet on this tech trend,” he said. “We are not near the saturation point”.

He acknowledged that OpenAI’s success was fueled in part by early financial support, particularly from his own ventures and from Elon Musk in the company’s early days. Despite their current contentious relationship, Altman expressed gratitude for Musk’s initial help in funding the company. However, he noted that securing funding was a crucial step, and the lack of such support could have derailed the company’s progress.

OpenAI's evolution has taken an interesting turn, with the company transitioning from a nonprofit organization to a for-profit business. This shift has sparked conversations around AI’s commercial potential, and Altman believes this move will allow the company to scale and innovate further. Altman also discussed the growing tension with Musk, who has been critical of OpenAI, accusing the company of unfairly blocking investments in Musk's own AI venture, xAI. Despite these conflicts, Altman sees the current state of AI as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for entrepreneurs.

AI’s ability to foster rapid growth for startups is undeniable, but Altman emphasized that it’s not enough for founders to simply ride the wave of AI’s potential. “AI can provide short-term explosions of growth,” he said, “but you still have to build something of enduring value.” The most successful startups, Altman suggested, will be those that can combine AI’s power with a clear long-term vision and a sustainable business model.

Altman also sees a future where companies are able to scale massively with fewer employees. He imagines a scenario where businesses generating billions of dollars in revenue could be run by fewer than 100 employees, powered by AI systems and a network of GPUs. This could redefine the traditional startup model, making it possible for smaller, more agile teams to compete with larger corporations.

In his view, the AI revolution will lead to the creation of incredibly powerful tools that will democratize business building. “It’s like one person plus 10,000 GPUs,” Altman said, illustrating how AI can dramatically enhance the capabilities of even the smallest teams.

As OpenAI continues to push boundaries in AI development, the conversation surrounding artificial general intelligence (AGI) also persists. While Altman has suggested that AGI is on the horizon, some experts in the field believe it may still be years away. Regardless, Altman’s message is clear: the window for AI-driven startups is wide open, and there has never been a better time to get started.

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