
At the recent Snowflake Summit in San Francisco, OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman made a bold prediction: artificial intelligence agents may soon do more than automate routine tasks—they could begin to discover new knowledge. His statement has sparked debate among technologists, policymakers, and ethicists, raising urgent questions about the real capabilities of AI systems and their broader societal impact.
Speaking at the 2025 Snowflake Summit, Altman likened current AI agents to junior employees, capable of handling assignments such as research, content creation, and data analysis.