Special relativity of superintelligence

Human intelligence’s impact grew as people preserved and combined knowledge through language, teaching, writing, institutions, and technology. Tools extended what people could do, and shared knowledge let later generations improve them. Intelligence and tools formed a snowball—not because brains evolved faster, but because ideas became cumulative and connected.

In fact, we may have become less intelligent over the past few decades because of our growing reliance on powerful tools.

AI may follow a similar trajectory on a different clock. Digital models can be copied, tested, and run in parallel. If AI helps improve software, research, or hardware, it may accelerate its next iteration. Cycles that take generations for humans could happen faster digitally.

The bold claim is that the rapid progress of superintelligence is an illusion. Rather, the “brain” of SI was born in 2022 and reached adolescence around 2025. It hasn’t become much more intelligent since then, but its ability to leverage external tools and controls has snowballed.