Elon Musk predicts AI outsmarting humanity by 2029

Billionaire investor and Chairman of X (formerly Twitter) Elon Musk sparked widespread debate online on Wednesday with his prediction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) surpassing human intelligence as early as 2029.

In response to a post discussing a clip from the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast featuring futurist Raymond Kurzweil, Musk wrote, “AI will probably be smarter than any single human next year. By 2029, AI is probably smarter than all humans combined”.

Raymond Kurzweil is an American computer scientist and inventor who has written extensively on technology’s future within human society including transhumanism. He has played a key role in advancing various technologies, including optical character recognition (OCR) and speech recognition.

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In the podcast, Kurzweil predicted that AI could attain human-level intelligence by 2029. He talked about the concept of “exponential technological growth”, citing the unprecedented growth of computational power over the past several decades.

Kurzweil predicted a timeline of when the AI will surpass human intelligence, claiming that his projected timeline is actually considered conservative by many. “We are not quite there, but […] by 2029 [the AI] will match any person. I am actually considered conservative. People think that will happen next year or the year after,” he said.

AI has attracted significant attention among technology leaders like Musk in recent years. The technology possesses the potential to surpass human intelligence and has prompted discussions about its risks and benefits.

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Musk’s response to the podcast clip led to a broader discussion on the implications of AI advancement. By echoing Kurzweil’s predictions, Musk ignited a heated debate on AI’s potential and its societal impact. Users on the platform said that it was vital to understand the technology and its impact on humanity. Many argued given the technology is evolving at an exponential rate, it was essential to prepare for the its impact on humans, including fears of elimination of millions of job globally.

Users also discussed the importance of timely discussions and proactive measures to ensure that AI development aligned with ethical values and served the collective benefit of humanity, not put it at a disadvantage.