Sam Altman Predicts AI Will Become a Pay-as-You-Go Utility

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes AI will evolve from a standalone product into an on-demand infrastructure service akin to water and electricity, with usage priced by the number of tokens processed. Technology companies worldwide have invested hundreds of billions of dollars in data centers, but power supplies, grid connections and permitting procedures are constraining the pace of computing-capacity expansion.

As of July 19, 2026, Altman further said OpenAI aims to become a vast infrastructure provider that operates on “permanently thin margins,” arguing that high margins are unrealistic. He envisions charging on demand according to token usage, allowing businesses and individuals to purchase AI intelligence services much as they pay utility bills.