‘We should regard it as a privilege to be stepping stones to higher things’: How Arthur C Clarke predicted the rise of AGI and the looming demise of humanity back in 1964
Publish Date: 2026-03-21 13:05:00
Source Domain: www.techradar.com
While debate over the timeline – or even the potential – for artificial general intelligence (AGI) rages on in 2026, one futurist may have predicted the breakthrough more than 60 years ago.
Noted British science fiction writer and futurist Arthur C. Clarke touted the arrival of AGI during an interview at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City.
Article continues below
You may like
“Present-day electronic brains are complete morons, but this will not be true in another generation. They will start to think, and eventually, they will completely out-think their makers.”
Clarke pondered whether this prospect was “depressing”, but noted that advances in technology on this front represent the next evolutionary step in humanity’s journey.
“We superseded the Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal men, and we presume we’re an improvement,” he added.
“We should regard it as a privilege to be stepping stones to higher things. I suspect that organic evolution has about come to its end, and we are now at the beginning of inorganic or mechanical evolution, which will be thousands of times swifter.”
