The Future of AI: What's Coming in the Next Three Years

We've already crossed the event horizon.
The point of no return is behind us. We haven't yet invented robots that take over all our chores, or instant cures for every disease — but GPT-4 and other systems are already smarter than humans at plenty of tasks. And better at drawing cats, too. From here it only speeds up.

Where it's all heading

The main thing isn't just automating routine work — it's accelerating scientific progress and boosting productivity. AI is already making scientists 2-3x more productive.

What's coming (if things keep going as they are)

2025: AI agents will handle complex cognitive work — writing code, for instance. Programming is about to change completely.

2026: systems will emerge that can come up with new scientific ideas on their own. Not just assisting — actually inventing.

2027: physical robots start rolling out into the real world.

Intelligence cheaper than water

The 2030s bring an age of abundance. The constraints holding back progress today will fall away. Intelligence will become as accessible as electricity.

Fun fact: a single ChatGPT query uses just 0.34 Wh of energy. Going forward, the cost of computation will become negligible.
AI will help build new AI, robots will assemble robots. A self-reinforcing loop is already underway.

What this means for us

Many professions will disappear. New ones will take their place. Social systems will adapt — not instantly, but gradually. New social contracts and new rules of the game will emerge.

What feels like a miracle today — AI writing novels, developing drugs, discovering new materials — will be routine tomorrow.
Scientific breakthroughs in a year instead of a decade.

The main risks

The hardest problem to solve is alignment: making sure AI actually works in humans' interest.

We already see how social media algorithms manipulate our attention. If we don't get the architecture of future AI right, the danger will be far greater than social-media zombification.

This is a short recap of Sam Altman's essay on the future of AI.

What do I think about all this?
If you're an entrepreneur, or just someone who wants to build something new — there's never been a better time to start.
Except yesterday, of course.

A genuine reshaping of the world lies ahead. And we're only at the very beginning.