Sam Altman says OpenAI wants to sell intelligence like a utility
During a recent appearance at BlackRock in Washington, D.C., OpenAI’s Sam Altman, shared his vision for the future of AI. At one point saying, “We see a future where intelligence is a utility, like electricity or water, and people buy it from us on a meter.”
Altman was describing a world where AI becomes a foundational infrastructure, something woven into everyday life so deeply that consumers and businesses simply “plug into” it the same way they rely on electricity, Wi-Fi or running water.



Weellll, unless you live out in the sticks on an island and all there is is long throw 2.4GHz wifi as your internet connection, at least when the weather cooperates and the rinkydink ISP has staff actually on the job. Then wifi is also a utility level service.
Like satellite internet for some. Hmm I know another equally misanthropic smug techbro who wants to privatize an entire utility sector… Had to set up a SStarlink system for someone recently. Had to make very sure the homeowners understand why we bridged the SStarlink router.
Or maybe the infrastructure in your building in or fairly near a city just sucks, and you use a 5G base station for internet.
This kind of thing is… extremely common in areas that broadly have unsubstantial net infrastructure, or just poorer areas of developed cities.