02/06/2026
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says AI could one day work like electricity or Wi-Fi — a basic utility people pay for based on how much they use.
Speaking in Washington, he said intelligence could be delivered “on a meter,” meaning more usage would cost more, and less usage would cost less.
He also suggested AI might eventually become “too cheap to meter,” where intelligence becomes so abundant that it’s widely accessible and very low cost.
The idea has sparked debate about whether a few big companies could end up controlling a service that becomes essential to daily life.
Today, a version of this already exists through subscriptions and pay-per-use AI services like APIs, where users are charged based on usage. But Altman’s vision goes further, imagining AI as a core utility woven into everyday life — like power, water, or internet access.
