A.I. Is Doubling IQ Every 7 Months: The New Rules for Work

For 200 years, we believed that being smarter, knowing more, and predicting better made us valuable. That belief shaped our education system, our careers, and how we defined success. But that entire model is breaking.

Artificial intelligence is now doubling its intelligence every seven months, meaning machines are learning faster than humans ever could. As intelligence accelerates beyond us, the real question is no longer how smart you are, but how quickly you can adapt, unlearn, and redefine the way you add value in a world where intelligence is no longer the advantage.

Comparing Human and Artificial Intelligence

Elon Musk has an IQ of 155, and he’s turning industry after industry inside out and upside down. With roughly 40 extra IQ points, he is dramatically changing the world we live in.

Add another eight IQ points, and you enter Einstein territory. In that space, Einstein starts to tell us that reality is not Newtonian science, but quantum science. He explains the theory behind laser lights, GPS, and a whole range of things we’re still trying to fully understand today.

We then need to consider ChatGPT. Right now, it’s sitting at an IQ of around 148. That’s already over 30 IQ points above the average human.

What’s even more important is that AI is doubling its intelligence every seven months.

Over the next few years, we’re going to see AI systems with thousands of IQ points. We have never experienced anything with that much IQ before.

When Intelligence Stops Being the Advantage

If that makes you panic, remember this: you are not stronger than a small car, let alone a truck, a ship, or a rocket. Strength was never the thing that made humans relevant. And now, the definition of intelligence we’ve held for the past 200 years is being challenged in the same way.

For the last two centuries, we’ve prized outcome-based intelligence. We’ve become addicted to certainty- to predict, plan, control, and optimise. That model is now breaking.

As we move into this new quantum AI era, the fundamentals of how we add value to the world have to change. If they don’t, we start to become like subsistence farmers, still working, but increasingly irrelevant in the marketplace.

Training for a World That No Longer Exists

I often ask parents a simple question: how many of your kids want to be influencers? The same reaction shows up everywhere. That little laugh says everything: this kid wants to be on TikTok instead of doing something sensible.

So what do we do? We tell them to go and study a textbook and prepare yourself and your kids for the future. And without realising it, we repeat the cycle.

Remember, your grandmother did the same thing to you. When you said you wanted to go into fashion design, she told you to sit down and become a lawyer. You couldn’t pay the bills with creativity.

And just like that, you became your grandmother.

From Fitting In to Fitting Out

The future now demands the exact opposite of the Industrial Revolution. Back then, success meant fitting into the system. Today, the system is dissolving, so now you have to fit out of it.

That means becoming a generalist. The only way to become a generalist is to follow your curiosity, your genius, and your fascination.

Every major report coming out of the big consultancies says the same thing: if you’re around 10 years old today, you’re likely to have 20 to 30 different careers in your lifetime. We’ve moved from one or two careers to 20 or 30.

That means unlearning, relearning, and unlearning again. Every new technology requires you to upgrade yourself and, just as importantly, to let go of old knowledge you no longer need.

Key Takeaways:

1. 1. AI systems like ChatGPT are rapidly surpassing human intelligence, with IQs over 30 points higher than the average person and doubling every 7 months.

2. 2. The traditional definition of intelligence as “being smarter, knowing more, and predicting better” is becoming obsolete as the focus shifts towards adaptability, unlearning, and redefining how one adds value.

3. 3. To future-proof one’s career, it is crucial to become a generalist rather than a specialist, following one’s curiosity and interests rather than fitting into a predefined system.

4. 4. Avoiding the mistakes of the past when preparing the next generation involves encouraging them to explore their passions, rather than forcing them into traditional career paths.

FAQ

Q: What is the current IQ of ChatGPT compared to the average human?

A: ChatGPT currently has an IQ of around 148, which is over 30 IQ points higher than the average human.

Q: How quickly is AI doubling its intelligence?

A: AI is doubling its intelligence every seven months, which means we will see AI systems with thousands of IQ points in the coming years.

Q: Why is the traditional definition of intelligence becoming obsolete?

A: The traditional focus on “being smarter, knowing more, and predicting better” is being replaced by the need to adapt, unlearn, and redefine how one adds value in a rapidly changing world.

Q: What is the key to future-proofing one’s career?

A: Becoming a generalist, following one’s curiosity and interests, and being willing to unlearn and relearn, are crucial to future-proofing one’s career in the face of rapid technological change.

Q: How can we avoid repeating the mistakes of the past when preparing the next generation?

A: We avoid repeating the mistakes of the past by not forcing the next generation into traditional career paths and instead encouraging them to explore their passions, rather than fitting into a predefined system.

Note: This blog post is an adaptation of the transcript from the video below.