Insights | Propel Ventures

Sam Altman's Melbourne Visit

Written by Ben Ross | Propel Ventures Co-Founder | Jun 19, 2023 12:49:37 AM

🚀 Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend an enlightening speaking event featuring Sam Altman, renowned entrepreneur and visionary. Altman shared invaluable insights about the impact of Chat GPT, and I couldn't resist capturing some of his most profound quotes to share with you all.🌏 

My top 13 insights from Sam about AI



  1. "AI will be bigger than the internet." Altman emphasised the immense transformative power of artificial intelligence, suggesting that its impact will far surpass that of the internet.
  2.  "Everyone gets to start again." With the rise of AI, the rules of the game have fundamentally changed. He recommended embracing this fresh start and the boundless opportunities it presents.
  3.  "All the rules just changed." In a world driven by AI, the traditional rules we once relied upon no longer hold true. See the next quote
  4.  "Advantages of the past don't count in the future." Altman emphasised that the strategies and advantages that worked in the past may not hold true in an AI-powered future. The key lies in embracing the new technologies.
  5.  "The winners will be the people who embrace the new technologies the fastest." Altman stressed the importance of swift adoption and integration of AI technologies. Those who embrace them wholeheartedly will thrive.
  6.  "Do the startup for the whole world - not just for your local region, like 'just Australia' - think bigger." Altman urged entrepreneurs to have a global mindset, envisioning their startups as solutions for the world rather than limiting themselves to a local market.
  7.  "Productivity growth with AI is huge. Soon engineers will be 20-30x more productive - what can you create when that happens?" 
  8.  "The right approach to AI tools is to undertake a high rate of experimentation. Everyone needs to just use AI for everything. Lean all the way in. Try it for everything." Altman urged everyone to experiment and fully embrace AI tools in their workflows.
  9.  "Small focused super talent-dense company with a clear mission is unstoppable. Innovation is easier with a small team that doesn't tolerate mediocre performers." Altman emphasised the power of small, talented teams with a shared mission, capable of driving unstoppable innovation.
  10.  "There is a chance we will soon see the first 1 person $1bn business." Altman painted an exciting future, suggesting that with the right tools and mindset, a single individual can build a billion-dollar enterprise.
  11.  "There are a lot of people in the service sector who haven't faced disruption - they will now." Altman highlighted the impending disruption facing various service-oriented professions, such as lawyers and doctors, as AI continues to advance.
  12.  "The future isn't that 'AI takes my job.' AI is good at tasks but not your whole job - you can be super effective if you farm out tasks." Altman dispelled the fear of job displacement, emphasising that AI is better suited for augmenting human tasks rather than replacing entire professions.
  13.  "As we automate more and more, with better tools, you can operate at a higher level, and expectations of what you can do will just go up." Altman highlighted that automation and AI tools enable us to operate at elevated levels, pushing the boundaries of what is possible.