Sam Altman returned to Stanford 21 years after dropping out at 19, talks AGI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited Stanford University to discuss the future of artificial general intelligence (AGI) with students. He predicted that current sophomores will graduate into a world where AGI is a reality and suggested that companies will soon begin hiring AI as coworkers.
Why it matters
Altman's perspective signals a shift in how future workforces should prepare for a world where AI moves beyond simple automation to become an active participant in the economy.
In 2005, Sam Altman left Stanford University at the age of 19 to build a startup. More than two decades later, he returned to the campus as the CEO of OpenAI, with a prediction that could change how today's students think about their education, careers and future workplaces.Speaking at TreeHacks, Stanford's student hackathon in February 2026, Altman told an audience of more than 1,000 students that those currently in their second year could graduate into a world with artificial general intelligence (AGI).
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