‘AI revolution gives 25 year olds from India an unprecedented edge’: Sam Altman on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast

Speaking on People by WTF podcast with Nikhil Kamath, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that a 25-year-old from Bengaluru, Mumbai has more opportunities today than any generation before, thanks to powerful new tools like artificial intelligence.

Altman compared the current AI revolution to the computer revolution of his own youth, noting that the ability for one person — or a small team — to build, create, and innovate has never been greater. “People are now limited only by the quality and creativity of their ideas,” he said, adding that advances in AI are transforming programming, accelerating scientific discovery, and enabling entirely new kinds of software.

He emphasised that whether aspiring entrepreneurs want to launch start-ups, enter the tech industry, or create new media, the next three to five years present an “open canvas” for innovation. “The rate at which one person can achieve things that previously took decades of experience or large teams is remarkable,” Altman said.

Speaking on GPT-5, Altman described it as “another big step forward” in capability, robustness, and reliability, unlocking more potential for individuals and businesses. He highlighted GPT-5’s role in helping users create software, learn faster, work more efficiently, and tackle a wide range of life tasks.

India, he noted, is now OpenAI’s second-largest market and could soon become its largest. Feedback from Indian users has shaped the model’s upgrades, including better language support and more affordable access.

Altman added that GPT-5 could enable a young entrepreneur in India to build an entire start-up more efficiently than ever before — writing software, managing customer support, creating marketing plans, and reviewing legal documents — all tasks that once required large teams and specialised expertise.