Chapel Hill, September 3: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently highlighted the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) during a dialogue with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He emphasized that tasks that previously took three months can now be completed in just minutes with AI.
Altman stated, “I believe this will lead to the largest surge in entrepreneurship and small business development the world has ever seen.”
He elaborated that what used to take three months for a startup to accomplish can now be achieved in approximately 17 minutes with the help of Codex. “This is astonishing. The world has yet to fully grasp what this means,” he added.
Before founding OpenAI, Altman operated a startup accelerator. His experiences have convinced him that entrepreneurship is one of the most significant forces in a capitalist system, with many groundbreaking ideas emerging from startups rather than large corporations. He noted that AI has simplified and expedited the process of transforming an idea into a product, testing it, and gathering customer feedback.
Altman pointed out that many talented individuals previously struggled to advance their ideas due to challenges such as lack of capital, hiring experts, developing new technologies, or managing complex supply chains. AI can significantly alleviate these barriers.
“If you have a brilliant idea but lack sufficient resources, capital, or expertise, or if you face difficulties in developing new technologies and managing complex supply chains, AI can assist you,” he explained.
He shared the example of a laundry service operator facing tough times. This individual utilized ChatGPT to create marketing materials, seek legal advice on contracts, and manage supplier relationships.
Altman remarked, “He was the first person I met who effectively learned to run his business using AI.”
He noted that this incident occurred during the early days of ChatGPT when the technology was far less capable than it is today. Since then, AI usage has surged in businesses, particularly with the introduction of coding agents and AI agents assisting in office tasks. In 2025, a rapid expansion was observed with coding agents and white-collar work agents.
He predicted that the next significant shift would come from long-term AI agents, which will work continuously with individuals and companies as permanent virtual colleagues.
Altman asserted that while AI will transform large companies and governments, its potential to empower entrepreneurs is of utmost importance. It could enable more individuals to establish independent businesses instead of merely becoming small parts of large corporations. The role AI can play in rapidly bringing entrepreneurs and new ideas to the world is truly remarkable.
He also advised G20 representatives that different countries could adopt their own policies for AI regulation. They could establish their own data centers or rent computing power from elsewhere, but every economy must utilize AI to remain competitive and grow their businesses.
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