Sam Altman returned to Stanford 21 years after dropping out at 19, talks AGI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman returned to Stanford University 21 years after dropping out at 19 and delivered a striking prediction about the future of artificial intelligence. Speaking at TreeHacks in February 2026, Altman told students that those currently in their second year could graduate into a world with artificial general intelligence, or AGI. He also suggested companies could begin hiring AI coworkers within two years, urging students to focus on what AI could make possible rather than simply adapting existing work.