OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has ignited a new discussion in the tech industry by condemning the workplace communication platform Slack, labeling it a source of “fake work” within tech firms. Although OpenAI heavily utilizes Slack for internal communication, Altman expressed his personal aversion to the tool, proposing that emerging AI systems could significantly enhance workplace collaboration and efficiency. In a recent episode of Conversations with Tyler, Altman was asked about OpenAI’s preference for Slack over traditional email. While he acknowledged that Slack is “better than email,” he quickly pointed out that this is not particularly commendable. Altman stated, “I don’t know if Slack is good. I suspect it’s not.
The threshold to make something better than email is not high, and I think Slack is better than email.” Nevertheless, he admitted that the relentless influx of Slack messages made his workdays quite overwhelming. He elaborated, “I dread the first hour of the morning, the last hour before I go to bed, where I’m just dealing with this explosion of Slack, and I think it does create a lot of fake work.” Altman’s remarks resonate with a growing number of professionals who believe that workplace chat applications often obscure the distinction between genuine collaboration and mere performative busyness.
His frustration arises from the inefficiency caused by constant notifications and reactive communication, which he claims distract teams from engaging in deeper, creative problem-solving. Furthermore, Altman suggested a future in which AI could replace tools like Slack, Microsoft Word, and Google Slides entirely. He asserted that artificial intelligence could automate many aspects of routine communication and documentation, allowing human employees to concentrate on more strategic responsibilities. “There is something new to build that is going to replace a lot of the current office, productivity suite that will be the AI-driven version of all of these things,” he remarked.
Imagining a workplace where AI agents autonomously manage most communication and workflow, Altman described, “You are trusting your AI agent and my AI agent to work most stuff out and escalate to us when necessary.” His vision hints at a near-future work environment where AI serves as both an assistant and collaborator, alleviating the administrative tasks that currently consume significant human effort. Altman’s comments caught attention, prompting a response from Elon Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who departed from the organization years ago.
Musk commented on X (formerly Twitter) with a quote from the interview, stating, “As I was saying, OpenAI will compete directly with Microsoft.” This remark was particularly noteworthy given Microsoft’s substantial financial connection to OpenAI, having invested $1 billion in 2019, a stake now estimated to be worth around $135 billion. Although the relationship between the two companies has evolved, Musk’s comment highlighted the increasingly competitive landscape in the AI-driven productivity sector. As Altman champions AI tools that could transform our working methods, the era of “fake work” may soon transition into one where artificial intelligence redefines the essence of true productivity.