A video featuring Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, was published on the social network X, in which he discusses the prospects of artificial intelligence. Altman suggests that AI could become a primary service, akin to electricity and water supply. In his opinion, users will be able to access intelligent systems as needed and only pay for actual usage.
“We see a world where intelligence becomes a utility, like electricity or water, and people will be billed based on usage,” he stated.
Altman also noted that this approach would help allocate limited computational resources more efficiently during periods of high demand. Business models creating AI could focus on selling tokens—units of data and text processing used in working with models.
This statement sparked active discussions online. Some users expressed skepticism, comparing the concept to the plot of the popular series "Black Mirror." One commenter noted that “intelligence as a service” seems like a way to extract money for the very process of thinking.
Other users pointed out that the idea of “metered intelligence” may only be beneficial for those who can effectively utilize such technologies. In their view, just like with electricity, access to the resource does not guarantee its proper application.
The discussion once again raised questions about the role of artificial intelligence in the economy of the future. Altman had previously claimed that the cost of computational “intelligence” could eventually approach the price of electricity.
The post Sam Altman: “The Future of AI is a Utility, Like Electricity and Water” was first published on the K-News website.
