AI is getting smarter by the day, and if Elon Musk is to be believed, this technology is on track to surpass the intelligence of all humans combined within the next four to five years. Musk’s bold prediction came in response to entrepreneur Peter H. Diamandis’ post on X, which suggested that humanity’s future prosperity will come not only from more computing power and energy, but also from more people having access to the tools and resources they need to innovate and solve problems.
“Abundance is not just more computing power and more energy. It is more intelligence. More people are free to invent, create, and solve. The limits to human genius have always been the size of the human population and access to tools and resources. As humanity expands into space, we break all limitations,” Diamandis wrote about X.
In response to the post, the head of Tesla and xAI wrote, “AI will probably exceed total human intelligence within 4-5 years.” Musk’s comments build on Diamandis’ argument that human progress is facilitated by having more intelligence, better tools and access to more resources. While Diamandis emphasized its power to expand human potential, Musk pointed to AI as the next big leap forward, suggesting that artificial intelligence could soon surpass humanity’s own collective intelligence.
And this isn’t the first time Musk has given such a close timeline for the arrival of smarter AI. Musk has often claimed that artificial general intelligence (AGI) could arrive as early as 2026 and that digital intelligence could exceed the intelligence of all humans combined by the end of this decade.
Musk believes that a single AI model could outsmart any individual human by next year, 2027 or so, but he sees true artificial superintelligence (ASI) starting to emerge in 2030. “By 2030 or 2031, AI could be smarter than all humans combined,” he said, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He added that technology development is progressing faster than many policymakers realize.
Meanwhile, Musk’s latest statement comes at a time when AI systems are rapidly advancing. Models developed by companies like OpenAI, Google, Meta, Anthropic, and xAI are already able to write code, generate content, conduct research, and solve increasingly complex problems. At the same time, companies are pouring billions of dollars into data centers, AI chips, and computing infrastructure as the race to build more powerful AI models intensifies.
For Musk, abundance is closely tied to automation. He believes AI-powered machines will eventually be able to handle many of the tasks currently performed by humans, including manufacturing, logistics, construction, and other labor-intensive industries. This could make goods and services significantly cheaper and more widely available.
That vision is also reflected in Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot program. Musk has repeatedly argued that Optimus could ultimately be more important to Tesla’s future than electric cars. The robot is designed to perform repetitive, dangerous, and physically demanding tasks in factories, warehouses, and even homes. In fact, Musk said the real transformation will come from humanoids, suggesting that AI-powered robots will bring “amazing enrichment for everyone.”
– end
