Elon Musk predicts AI will be smarter than the smartest human next year

In a recent interview fraught with technical hiccups on X spaces, Tesla's CEO Elon Musk made bold predictions about the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI). Musk asserted that AI surpassing human intelligence, known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), could materialise as soon as next year or by 2026.

During the conversation with Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norway's wealth fund, Musk underscored the critical role of electricity in unlocking the potential of AI. He also disclosed plans for the forthcoming iteration of Grok, the AI chatbot developed by his startup xAI, slated for training completion by May.

The tech mogul, who co-founded OpenAI, lamented the scarcity of advanced chips hindering the enhancement of Grok's capabilities. He revealed that training the Grok 2 model necessitated a staggering 20,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, with future iterations demanding even more resources.

Musk's venture, xAI, emerged last year as a contender against OpenAI, a company he previously collaborated with. Musk accused OpenAI of deviating from its original altruistic objectives towards profit-driven motives, an allegation the latter refutes.

While Musk emphasised the chip shortage as a significant obstacle, he stressed the pivotal role of electricity supply in AI's developmental trajectory over the coming years.

Shifting focus to the automotive sector, Musk reiterated the formidable competition posed by Chinese car manufacturers, labelling them as "the most competitive in the world." He cautioned that without trade barriers, Chinese rivals could potentially outpace global counterparts.

Addressing ongoing labour disputes, Musk expressed optimism, suggesting that the challenges faced by Tesla in Sweden were abating. Tangen, representing Norway's $1.5 trillion sovereign wealth fund and a significant Tesla shareholder, confirmed recent discussions with Tesla's leadership regarding the company's operational landscape.