On January 11, 2026, Zack Kass, a global AI advisor and former head of Go to Market at OpenAI, offered an in-depth perspective on the evolution and future potential of artificial intelligence during a podcast interview. Kass, who played a pivotal role in OpenAI's growth from a modest $1 million to over $2 billion in annual revenue and witnessed the launch of Chat GPT in 2022, reflected on the significance of that milestone and outlined his views on the broader consequences of AI innovation.
Kass traced his career origins to nearly 15 years ago, combining his studies in history and computer science at Berkeley before joining a machine learning firm focusing on building datasets for training purposes. This early work supported companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon in developing recommendation systems. He subsequently moved to a firm specializing in large language models for machine translation before joining OpenAI.
Despite his extensive experience, Kass noted that nothing quite prepared him for the release of Chat GPT on November 30, 2022. He characterized Chat GPT less as a scientific breakthrough and more as an application breakthrough that made AI accessible and practical for consumers and enterprises alike. He emphasized that while models like GPT 3.5 were commercially viable and available since mid-2022, the transformative impact only occurred when OpenAI developed an easy-to-use interface that facilitated widespread adoption.
Kass discussed the present phase of AI development by drawing a parallel to human existence, humorously suggesting that AI's progress could be likened to being in the 'third inning' of a multi-million-year game of human experience. This metaphor underscores the early stage of AI relative to its potential trajectory.
When reflecting on the oft-discussed concern over a possible AI bubble, Kass expressed a general indifference toward the issue. He underscored that historical market bubbles often burst and that such corrections can be beneficial in the long term. Rather than focusing on fears of overvaluation, Kass highlighted the enduring value of current AI infrastructure investments, particularly in energy.
He stressed that the significant increase in energy demand due to AI development will drive essential breakthroughs in power generation, requiring advances such as geothermal energy, vast solar installations, nuclear fusion, or modular reactors. This perspective positions AI not only as a driver of technological innovation but also as a catalyst for transforming global energy paradigms, potentially enabling solutions like desalination and vertical farming that improve quality of life worldwide.
Central to Kass's thesis is the concept of 'unmetered intelligence,' referring to the transition of intelligence from a scarce to an abundant resource—similar to electricity or the internet. He anticipates that as AI commoditizes intelligence, it will drastically lower the cost of accessing this resource and, consequently, spur significant economic and social benefits by allowing more people to pursue their own versions of fulfillment freely.
Addressing the topic of AI's impact on the workforce, Kass pointed out that while certain jobs will automate, political and social factors heavily influence which occupations remain protected. For example, jobs with strong union representation, like longshoremen, are less likely to experience immediate automation due to political resistance. He noted that concerns about job automation are often framed as economic issues, but the more profound challenge may be an identity displacement, where individuals must reconcile their personal purpose beyond traditional employment roles.
Kass highlighted that historically, society has benefited from automation despite the short-term disruptions it caused to workers. He argued that automation generally leads to improvements in productivity and affordability, yielding broader economic gains even if it challenges individual identities tied to particular jobs. Reflecting on this, he cited John Maynard Keynes's 1930 essays that contemplated a future where society solves economic scarcity but faces spiritual and existential questions.
Ultimately, Kass expressed optimism that advances in AI could allow humans to reconnect with community and purpose, reminiscent of early human hunter-gatherer societies. He envisions a future where technology liberates people from mundane labor, potentially enhancing happiness and fostering closer social bonds.
Throughout the discussion, Kass underscored the enormous transformative capacity of AI, its intertwined relationship with energy infrastructure, and the socio-economic adjustments society will need to navigate as unmetered intelligence becomes a foundational resource. His insights serve as a nuanced reflection on the promise and complexity of the ongoing AI renaissance.