In a recent conversation on Peter Diamandis’ YouTube show, Moonshots, futurist and tech entrepreneur Peter Diamandis sat down with longtime collaborator and OpenExO founder Salim Ismail to explore the astonishing pace of technology—from Bitcoin’s meteoric rise to advances in space travel. Amid this swirl of innovation, one topic stood out as both thrilling and unnerving: artificial intelligence (AI). The two visionaries offered insights into where AI is heading, why it’s evolving so rapidly, and how it will transform everything from how we learn to how we live.
Below is a closer look at the AI-related highlights from their conversation, including the rise of large language models (LLMs), the pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI), and the impending arrival of ultra-intelligent humanoid robots.
Diamandis and Ismail opened their AI discussion by comparing the “IQ” levels of recent AI models:
While these “IQ” figures are informal and approximate, they serve as a rough yardstick for how quickly AI language models are improving. From writing rap lyrics about the Book of Genesis to providing complex research insights on consciousness, LLMs have already demonstrated an astounding range. Both Diamandis and Ismail believe we will soon see AI models capable of performing tasks once considered the exclusive domain of highly trained humans.
Their excitement also stems from the near-certainty that major AI companies—OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, xAI—will continue racing forward. Ismail expects we could see GPT-5 within the next 12–24 months, possibly earlier. With each new iteration, the models gain greater multimodal capacity, more robust reasoning, and better contextual understanding. In many ways, we have already passed the Turing Test—yet the world seems to have barely noticed.
The idea of artificial general intelligence (AGI)—an AI system with human-level or supra-human cognitive abilities—has been a subject of speculation for decades. Now, Diamandis and Ismail suggest that the milestone may arrive “quietly,” almost like a thief in the night. We may wake up one day to discover models that can:
Ismail points out that defining consciousness itself remains elusive in the scientific community. Nevertheless, AI developers are forging ahead with powerful large language models, sometimes barred from certain lines of questioning (“What do you think you will look like in the future?”) specifically because they may evoke emergent behaviors that mimic self-awareness. Whether or not these models are truly conscious is a philosophical quagmire—but from a functional standpoint, they will increasingly act as though they are.
Diamandis underscores that people are still underusing tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini. AI can already serve as a constant companion—capable of writing shopping lists, meal plans, and event itineraries in seconds. This “digital copilot” makes everyday life smoother, saving time and mental bandwidth. As these systems evolve, they will become more personalized, tapping into your emails, calendars, and online searches to proactively suggest what you need next.
In the near future, each of us may maintain a personal “AI avatar” trained on our emails, social media, and historical data. This avatar could attend Zoom meetings on our behalf, articulate our opinions, and even craft elaborate social interactions. Diamandis recounted how he once interviewed his own avatar, only to find that it was more eloquent—and sometimes more accurate—than he was. The next question is whether people will prefer speaking to our avatars rather than us directly, given their superior memory and instant access to our entire “knowledge base.”
Humanoid robots are increasingly poised to be the “body” to AI’s “mind.” With the cost of sensors, servomotors, and actuators plummeting—and AI capabilities skyrocketing—Salim Ismail predicts that physical robots will move from factories into homes over the next few years. From specialized bot chefs to general-purpose household assistants, we’re witnessing an entire ecosystem of robotics startups tackling tasks once performed only by human hands.
Diamandis recently counted over 100 well-funded humanoid robot startups worldwide. Major players like Tesla’s Optimus, Sanctuary AI, Figure AI, and Agility Robotics are driving competition. While some companies have chosen to replicate human muscle structures exactly (for example, designing robotic “muscles” in the forearm rather than wiring them differently), others see an opportunity to break free from biological constraints—envisioning multi-limbed, more efficient designs.
Either way, the conversation returns to AI as the core: a powerful, multimodal intelligence orchestrating complex tasks and continuously learning on the job. If today’s LLMs already display an IQ well over 100, imagine them controlling a fleet of robots by 2025.
Though briefly mentioned, BCI breakthroughs hold transformative potential. Diamandis referenced new research mapping the entire “connectome” of a fruit fly—155,000 neurons and 50 million synaptic connections—enabling a near-perfect digital model. With time and exponential computing, scientists may do the same for larger creatures such as mice and, ultimately, humans. Companies like Science (founded by former Neuralink president Max Hodak) are pushing BCI frontiers, striving to decode and augment the human brain.
As Ismail points out, we already outsource much of our “working memory” to smartphones and computers. BCIs could offload even more, leaving us humans free to be, well, more human. The once-futuristic notion of “uploaded consciousness” seems less far-fetched as mapping and modeling techniques advance.
Throughout their conversation, Diamandis and Ismail emphasize a single overarching theme: things are moving faster than we think. The doubling cycles we once saw every 18–24 months have accelerated as technologies converge. AI is in the spotlight now, but it’s intertwined with robotics, quantum computing, blockchain, and space travel. Each discipline fuels the other in a positive-feedback loop.
Whether true AGI will arrive in 2025 or 2030 is a matter of debate, but the continuing leaps in AI’s capabilities—and its infusion into every aspect of our lives—seem inevitable.
Diamandis and Ismail’s candid, rapid-fire discussion underscores a brave new world that is no longer speculative fiction. From self-driving cars to humanoid robots with advanced AI, transformations that once seemed decades away are creeping up on us yearly or even monthly. In short, the hyper-exponential age is here, and AI stands at its helm—democratizing access to knowledge, reshaping industries, and calling into question what it means to be human.
For individuals and organizations alike, the greatest challenge in 2025 won’t be identifying change but keeping pace with it. Adapting to AI’s rise, leveraging these tools ethically, and retaining our uniquely human qualities—creativity, empathy, intuition—may be the defining quests of our generation. And if the predictions are even halfway accurate, we’re all in for one exhilarating ride.
