Have you ever wondered what the future of higher education be in a world revolutionised by AI? OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has painted an optimistic, and somewhat envious, picture of the job market nine years from now. Altman suggested that college graduates in 2035 could embark on “super well-paid, super interesting” careers exploring the solar system on spaceships, while today’s workforce is stuck in what he calls “really boring old kind of work.”
In an earlier interview hosted in August 2025 with video journalist Cleo Abram on her YouTube series “Huge If True,” Altman responded to a thought experiment about the 2035 job landscape amid rapid AI advancements. He stated that the future of education could lead young students and scholars to embark on a broader exploration spree in space and make new discoveries in a way that’s not as boring as today’s education.
From ‘boring jobs’ today to interstellar careers tomorrow
Abram referenced predictions that AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. However, Altman described a dramatically transformed future driven by artificial intelligence.
“If they still go to college at all, [they] could very well be like leaving on a mission to explore the solar system on a spaceship in some kind of completely new exciting, super well-paid, super interesting job and feeling so bad for you and I that like we had to do this kind of like really boring old kind of work. And everything is just better,” Altman said.
He highlighted that AI will not only disrupt existing industries but also create entirely new ones. Altman pointed to his own role at OpenAI as proof. “I have a job that nobody would have thought we could have a decade ago,” he said. He argued that the pace of change will accelerate dramatically, making the next decade “even much harder, much more different” than the present.
Greater opportunity for the next generation
Altman expressed particular excitement for young people entering the workforce during this transformative period.
“If I were 22 right now and graduating college, I [would feel like the luckiest kid] in all of history. There’s never been a more amazing time to go create something totally new, to go invent something, to start a company, whatever it is,” he stated.
He also highlighted the potential for solo entrepreneurs, stating, “I think it is probably possible now to start a company [that is a one-person company] that will go on to be worth like more than a billion dollars. And more importantly than that, deliver an amazing product and service to the world.”
While Altman acknowledged that some job categories “will totally go away,” he remained bullish on adaptation, especially among younger workers. The interview underscores his broader vision of AI as a catalyst for unprecedented abundance, innovation, and human exploration — from revolutionising everyday work to enabling interstellar missions.
