Artificial intelligence has risen at breakneck speed, weaving itself into nearly every facet of our daily lives. Now, it may come with an even higher cost.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sparked a wave of discussion by suggesting a future in which artificial intelligence could be treated like a utility, forcing people to pay for access.
The remarks came during Altman's appearance at BlackRock's U.S. Infrastructure Summit, shared by DRM News, where he discussed the long-term vision for AI alongside OpenAI board member Adebayo Ogunlesi.
"We see a future where intelligence is a utility, like electricity or water, and people buy it from us on a meter," Altman said.
The statement quickly caused controversy, prompting many to envision a future where access to AI tools, and even certain kinds of knowledge, might be locked behind a monthly paywall.
The analogy didn't appeal to many observers, given that AI systems already require massive amounts of electricity and drive skyrocketing costs for surrounding communities.
"That is what I need, a new utility bill... while the existing utilities are rising because of 'checks notes' AI companies taking all the electricity and water for the data centres," one commenter wrote under an article by Gizmodo.
Altman also noted that the current system used to access many AI models, where companies pay "tokens" for the computing power needed to generate responses, could become more expensive if demand continues to rise.
Social media users were quick to react.
"He's seriously out here pitching a subscription model for thinking," one user joked.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 Another commenter wrote, "They stole all this data from us, the people, our life's work, creativity, art, etc., by devouring the internet and blowing through all copyright laws. Now they want to 'sell it back to us' in the form of a utility?!"
"That's a powerful — and somewhat unsettling — vision of the future," another user added. "If intelligence becomes a metered utility, like electricity or water, it raises serious questions about access, concentration of power, and who controls the infrastructure of knowledge."
As AI continues expanding across everyday life, conversations about accessibility and regulation are becoming increasingly urgent.
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