Elon Musk predicts artificial intelligence will surpass the combined intelligence of humanity within about five years, with humans unlikely to remain in control of the technology within a decade. The xAI founder made the statements during an interview with The Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes on Thursday. Musk attributes the timeline to AI's rapid development momentum, stating he sees no realistic path to slowing its progress. The comments reflect ongoing debate within the AI industry over existential risks and governance frameworks as frontier models advance toward human-level capabilities.
Musk Predicts AI Will Surpass Human Intelligence Within Five Years
Musk said AI is on track to outperform humans at nearly every intellectual task. "There really won't be anything that AI can't do better than humans, apart from being human, perhaps," Musk stated. He described the most likely outcome as "an age of amazing abundance where anyone can have anything they can think of."
Musk referenced the current year in his prediction: "This may sound preposterous, but here we are in 2026. Let's see where we stand in 2036." He acknowledged AI poses existential risks but said he no longer sees a realistic path to slowing its development. "I can't see any way to really stop this incredible momentum of AI and robots," Musk said.
Musk Proposes Regular Safety Meetings Among Leading AI Companies
Musk proposed the world's leading AI companies begin holding regular meetings to discuss safety and security concerns. He suggested giving competing AI labs limited early access to one another's frontier models so they can identify dangerous capabilities before public release. If a company failed to address serious risks, Musk said, governments could then intervene.
Musk Criticizes OpenAI Shift to For-Profit Company
Musk criticized longtime rival Sam Altman and OpenAI's evolution from a nonprofit organization into a for-profit company. "Well, I'm not a fan of Sam Altman because you started a nonprofit that was meant to be an open-source AI company, owned by the world, and it somehow got turned into an $800 billion for-profit company with closed source," Musk said.
May Jury Rejected Musk $150 Billion Lawsuit Against OpenAI
In May, a California jury rejected Musk's $150 billion lawsuit against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and co-founder Greg Brockman. The jury found the defendants not liable on claims that they abandoned the organization's nonprofit mission by shifting toward a commercial structure. The verdict ended one of Musk's highest-profile legal challenges against the ChatGPT developer.
Musk Praises Anthropic Leadership While Noting Marketing Criticism
Musk suggested Anthropic exists because co-founder Dario Amodei and his team no longer trusted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. "I think Dario is a very principled person. He cares about the future of the world, and I think everyone I've met at Anthropic so far has been well-intentioned," Musk said. He added that critics including Sam Altman have accused the company of fear-based marketing to sell its Claude AI products.
Despite disagreements with OpenAI leadership, Musk said rival AI companies should be willing to cooperate on safety. "At the end of the day, if we have to talk, we'll talk," Musk stated. "Set aside our personal differences for the good of the world."
FAQ
What did Elon Musk predict about AI surpassing human intelligence?
Elon Musk predicts artificial intelligence will surpass the combined intelligence of humanity within about five years, with humans unlikely to remain in control of the technology within a decade. He made these statements during an interview with The Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes on Thursday.
What safety measures did Musk propose for AI companies?
Musk proposed that the world's leading AI companies begin holding regular meetings to discuss safety and security concerns. He suggested giving competing AI labs limited early access to one another's frontier models so they can identify dangerous capabilities before public release, with government intervention if companies fail to address serious risks.
What was the outcome of Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI?
In May, a California jury rejected Musk's $150 billion lawsuit against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and co-founder Greg Brockman. The jury found the defendants not liable on claims that they abandoned the organization's nonprofit mission by shifting toward a commercial structure.
