tl;dr
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman states humanity is entering the early stages of the singularity, where AI surpasses human intelligence, marking a new era of digital superintelligence. He describes this transition as a "gentle singularity," a gradual and manageable change rather than a sudden shift. ChatGPT's ...
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman asserts that humanity has entered a "gentle singularity," marking the gradual onset of digital superintelligence surpassing human intelligence, with critical implications for society and the global economy. He describes this transition as a manageable, gradual change rather than a sudden shift. ChatGPT’s widespread adoption, reaching 800 million weekly users by May 2025, exemplifies this trend.
Altman warns that even minor misalignments in AI could have significant impacts and stresses the importance of aligning AI with humanity’s long-term goals. He calls for avoiding concentration of control by any one entity and for initiating global discussions on AI values and limits.
According to Altman, humanity has crossed a critical inflection point—an “event horizon”—signaling the beginning of a new era. He states, “We are past the event horizon; the takeoff has started,” signaling a move toward digital superintelligence that is, thus far, less strange than expected.
The singularity, a theoretical point where AI surpasses human intelligence triggering rapid and unpredictable growth, is seen here as a gradual event, or “gentle singularity,” that remains comprehensible and beneficial. ChatGPT’s rapid popularity growth since its 2022 launch, with hundreds of millions relying on it daily, supports this view.
Despite challenges such as legal disputes and calls for pauses on AI development, OpenAI continues advancing. Altman highlights that small technological improvements can bring major benefits but also cautions about risks if misalignments scale across millions of users.
To address these risks, Altman suggests ensuring AI acts in accordance with long-term human values, preventing concentrated control, and fostering global conversations about development guidelines. He predicts major AI milestones in the coming years: cognitive agents in 2025, systems that generate novel insights in 2026, and robots performing real-world tasks in 2027.
By 2030, AI intelligence and creativity are expected to be widespread and routine. Altman notes that as AI becomes more integrated into daily life, what once astonished us will become ordinary—“wonders become routine, and then table stakes.” This shift marks the unfolding of the singularity as a steady evolution in digital intelligence rather than an abrupt revolution.