Sam Altman Slams Slack for Creating ‘Fake Work,’ Envisions AI Replacing Microsoft Office

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sparked a fresh debate in the tech world after criticizing workplace communication platform Slack, calling it a source of “fake work” within technology companies. Despite OpenAI’s heavy reliance on Slack for internal communication, Altman admitted that he personally dislikes the tool, suggesting that future AI systems could do a far better job in managing workplace collaboration and productivity.

In a recent episode of Conversations with Tyler, Altman was asked about OpenAI’s use of Slack over traditional email. While acknowledging that Slack is “better than email,” he was quick to clarify that this wasn’t exactly high praise. Altman remarked, “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.”

However, Altman confessed that the constant flood of Slack messages often made his workday overwhelming. He explained, “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.”

The OpenAI chief’s comments touch on a growing sentiment among professionals who feel that workplace chat apps often blur the line between meaningful collaboration and performative busyness. Altman’s frustration stems from the inefficiency that comes with endless notifications and reactive communication, which he believes can distract teams from deeper, creative problem-solving.

Going a step further, Altman hinted at a future where AI will replace tools like Slack, Microsoft Word, and Google Slides altogether. He believes artificial intelligence can automate large parts of routine communication and documentation, freeing up human workers to focus on more strategic tasks. “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 said.

Envisioning a world where AI agents handle most communication and workflow autonomously, Altman explained, “You are trusting your AI agent and my AI agent to work most stuff out and escalate to us when necessary.” His vision points toward a near-future workplace where AI acts as both an assistant and collaborator, taking over administrative burdens that currently consume hours of human effort.

Altman’s remarks didn’t go unnoticed. Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI but left the organization years ago, responded with a pointed comment on X (formerly Twitter). Quoting a clip from the interview, Musk quipped, “As I was saying, OpenAI will compete directly with Microsoft.”

The jab was notable, considering Microsoft’s deep financial ties with OpenAI. The tech giant was one of OpenAI’s earliest investors, contributing $1 billion in 2019—a stake now reportedly valued at around $135 billion. Though the partnership between the two companies has evolved, Musk’s response underlined the increasingly competitive dynamic in the AI-powered productivity space.

With Altman advocating for AI-driven tools that could revolutionize how we work, the age of “fake work” might soon give way to one where artificial intelligence redefines what real productivity looks like.