Sam Altman and OpenAI's Strategy for Dominating the Internet Unveiled

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, a new era is on the horizon. American entrepreneur and CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, is leading the charge towards an AI-first future, where artificial intelligence (AI) becomes not just a tool, but the central operating system (OS) of our digital lives.

According to a 2024 Statista report, 57% of U.S. Gen Z are already using AI daily for decision-making. This trend is set to continue, with AI expected to dramatically accelerate productivity and creativity across various domains, including writing, coding, scientific discovery, and creative work.

Altman's vision involves OpenAI providing the foundational layer of intelligence overlaying the internet and everyday life, acting as the OS, agent, advisor, and infrastructure. This initiative, which includes advanced AI research and the creation of artificial general intelligence (AGI) capable of intellectual tasks beyond human-level intelligence, is a significant step towards this future.

One of the key components of this vision is the development of an AI operating system. This system would become a seamless central interface, handling tasks proactively, across devices and contexts, eliminating fragmented interfaces and manual browsing. In fact, the Stargate project, led by Altman, could require more than 100 million GPUs by the end of the decade, making it the largest computer infrastructure in human history.

However, this future is not without its challenges. Data privacy, surveillance, and control are concerns, as an always-on AI operating system implies massive data collection, potentially leading to misuse by corporations or authoritarian governments. Inequality and infrastructure scarcity are potential downsides, as computers remaining scarce or expensive could reinforce inequity and geopolitical imbalances.

Moreover, alignment and safety challenges are a concern, as misaligned superintelligence could be hazardous. Altman has warned about the potential loss of autonomy and over-reliance on AI, stating that deferring life decisions entirely to AI feels bad and dangerous.

Despite these challenges, Altman is optimistic. He predicts that within five years, 90% of digital content will be AI-generated, with the price of content heading towards zero and the cost of attention becoming infinite. By 2030, individuals may accomplish more than what humans could in 2020 due to cheap and abundant intelligence and energy.

The question isn't whether AI will take over the internet, but whether individuals are ready to hand the keys to their life to AI. In this new AI-first Internet, ChatGPT could become the central nervous system, collapsing the distance between intention and execution.

OpenAI is already making strides towards this future. In April 2025, they launched a pro version of ChatGPT with memory enabled, which was used instead of project management tools like Notion or Trello by 27% of users within three weeks. They are also reportedly working with ex-Apple designer Jony Ive and SoftBank to create new AI-native devices.

As we move towards this AI-first future, it's clear that the role of AI in our lives is set to expand dramatically. Whether this expansion will be a boon or a bane remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the future of AI is here, and it's shaping up to be an exciting and transformative era.