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Elon Musk has made a striking prediction about the future of artificial intelligence, estimating that AI could exceed the combined intelligence of all humanity within the next five years.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist, Musk said the combination of advanced AI and vast numbers of robots could fundamentally transform economies and societies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe AI can surpass the sum of human intelligence in about five years,\u201d he stated. He added that we may reach a point where \u201cthere is really nothing that AI cannot do better than humans, except perhaps being human.\u201d<\/p>\n
An \u201cAge of Astonishing Abundance\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite widespread concerns about rapid AI progress, Musk expressed optimism about the long-term outcome. He predicted that the mass deployment of AI and robotics could usher in an \u201cage of astonishing abundance,\u201d with the production of goods and services rising to unprecedented levels.<\/p>\n \u201cThe future is going to be very, very different from the past,\u201d Musk said, noting that it is difficult even to find a suitable historical analogy for the scale of change he expects.<\/p>\n He acknowledged the risks, describing developments in AI as both \u201cexciting and terrifying,\u201d and admitted his own feelings about the technology can shift within a single day.<\/p>\n Musk: \u201cMoney Won\u2019t Matter Much by 2036\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Even more striking was his economic forecast. Musk suggested that by 2036 money may lose much of its current importance.<\/p>\n His reasoning rests on the idea that AI and robots will be able to produce such enormous quantities of goods and services \u2014 from food and transportation to housing and entertainment \u2014 that supply will far exceed human needs.<\/p>\n In such a scenario, he argued, governments could even provide money directly to citizens without the usual inflationary effects, provided that the production of goods and services grows faster than the money supply. In an AI-dominated, highly automated economy, the bigger risk might be deflation rather than inflation.<\/p>\n Despite his overall optimism, Musk did not hide the uncertainty surrounding the transition: \u201cIt\u2019s exciting and terrifying,\u201d he said of the future of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n Key takeaways:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n