Elon Musk says we’re in the “intelligence big bang” — after warning that a power crunch could kill the AI revolution this year

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With continuous advancements in generative AI, it appears that this technology is significantly boosting the likelihood of groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Notably, leaders such as Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, predict that the emergence of superintelligence will lead to a tenfold increase in AI breakthroughs in science, effectively compressing a decade’s worth of progress into a single year.

While AI holds immense potential benefits, it also raises significant worries about its impact on humanity. As per AI safety researcher Roman Yampolskiy, there’s practically a 100% chance that uncontrolled AI development could lead to the extinction of humanity. His solution? Preventing the creation of such technology from the outset.

According to Demis Hassabis, one of Google DeepMind’s executives, we are close to developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). However, he emphasizes that our society might not be prepared for all the implications this technology may bring. In fact, these possibilities often cause him concern at night.

Intriguingly, Elon Musk, known for his frequent comments about artificial intelligence, recently presented a contrasting perspective during xAI’s Grok 4 Live Demo event. The magnate asserted that we are on the cusp of an enormous intellectual expansion. More specifically, he referred to this as the “Intelligence Big Bang.

According to Elon Musk:

In essence, what truly matters is the ability for humanoid robots to engage with the physical world. By merging Grok with Optimus, we create a robot capable of interpreting its surroundings, forming hypotheses, and verifying their accuracy.

The executive maintains that this is an exceptionally intriguing era to exist, and he stresses the necessity for major players to develop beneficial artificial intelligence. Emphasizing safety, he underscores the importance of the technology’s progression. Furthermore, he emphasized that AI should be designed with a strong focus on seeking truth as much as possible.

In essence, Musk depicted a prodigious young mind that might surpass you in intelligence, yet it’s crucial to instill moral principles and foster honesty and integrity within them.

It’s more and more obvious that we urgently require regulations and robust precautions to stop advanced AI systems from getting out of hand and possibly endangering humanity.

It’s intriguing to note that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posits that when we reach Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), the potential threats may not be immediately apparent. He anticipates that AGI could be attained within the next five years, but it might pass by with relatively minor societal consequences, taking us by surprise.

Musk acknowledges that AI is advancing faster than anything he’s ever encountered, but he thinks it hasn’t reached its peak yet. He points out a lack of sufficient electricity to fuel its intricate advancements as a significant hurdle. He cautions that by 2030, there might not be enough electrical power available to sustain the technology.

By the year 2027, it was found that both Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT have energy demands so high they could supply power to a small nation for an entire year. In this regard, it’s been discovered that OpenAI’s GPT-3 model uses four times as much water as initially estimated, while generating 100 words with the upcoming GPT-4 model requires using up to three water bottles.

It’s intriguing to contemplate whether the companies pursuing AI trends can find a way to address the skyrocketing energy consumption of AI technology, balancing it against safety and privacy issues, during this significant period of growth and innovation.

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2025-07-18 14:09