What Altman means is that AI agents will increasingly be able to write their own code to access services—even without official APIs (the interfaces that allow programs to communicate with each other). Companies will no longer be asked whether they want to be part of this ecosystem. They will simply be absorbed into it, while the traditional user interface loses value.

According to Altman, some SaaS companies (software-as-a-service) will remain highly valuable and successfully leverage AI. Others, however, will be reduced to a “thinner layer” and may not survive the transition. Established companies with strong core systems that integrate AI effectively are seen as having the best chances.

Recent advances in AI agents and tools such as Cowork have already contributed to declining valuations for software companies. The underlying thesis is that as more tasks are handled directly by AI, specialized point solutions for narrow niches may no longer be necessary.