Elon Musk We are getting closer. He said we already are.
The CEOs of Tesla and SpaceX responded in two separate posts on Sunday X with an unequivocal claim: “We have entered the singularity.” Hours later, he followed it up with a second post: “2026 is the year of the singularity.” Both engineers were amazed at what AI tools can now do in response — cranking out years of work in weeks and reshaping how software is built.
We have entered the singularity
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That phrase — “singularity” — isn’t something Musk throws around for flavor. It is a long-standing concept in technology and science fiction that refers to the moment when artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence and begins to improve itself. Once that happens, the idea goes, the pace of innovation explodes beyond human control. At that point, the future becomes less of a straight line and more of a rocket—fast, unpredictable, and radically changing.
This idea dates back to the 1950s, when mathematician Dr John von Neumann suggested that technology is moving so fast that it could trigger fundamental transformations in society. his colleague, Stanislaw UlamDescribed it as “singularity”.
Science fiction writer Werner Wing The idea was later expanded upon in the 1980s and 90s, predicting that once machines become smarter than humans, we will lose the ability to meaningfully predict what will happen in the future.
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Ray Kurzweil Pushed the conversation into the mainstream with the 2005 book “The Singularity is Near,” speculating that it could happen around 2045.
Musk hasn’t put it off for decades. He said it’s already here.
The context behind his comment is important. One user wrote about completing more coding projects over Christmas break than in the past ten years. Another former OpenAI and DeepMind engineer described today’s AI tools as “tremendously powerful,” with the cloud compressing six years of engineering knowledge into just a few months. Musk’s response was not warning. They were timestamps.
But it’s not just about code. Musk is building towards the moment on the platforms. In late 2025, during a US-Saudi investment forum, he predicted that AI and robotics will eventually make traditional work “alternative” and that money will “disappear as a concept”.
At the Viva Technology conference in Paris in May, he said a future with intelligent humanoid robots could produce everything people need and make material scarcity obsolete. “In a benign scenario, probably none of us would have a job,” he said, adding, “There would be higher global incomes.” His message was unequivocal: people no longer needed to work to survive. They will work for fun—like playing video games.
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That’s the opposite. But Musk also made it clear that he doesn’t see the future as entirely secure. He said he would prefer to slow the AI down, but acknowledged that this is probably impossible. The competitive pressure to get ahead is too great. As he put it during xAI’s Grok 4th of July livestream, “If it’s not going to be great, I want to at least be alive to see it happen.”
For investors and startups, this is an area that has already been entered. AI-first companies aren’t just promising — they’re redefining speed. The tools Musk is referring to will allow manufacturers to compress timelines, cut costs and ship products faster than ever before. If an early-stage startup can move at the pace that once required a 200-person team, the power dynamics in technological change are shifting. It’s not just about software. Robotics companies are building physical devices that can replace labor in warehouses, restaurants, and even homes.
Musk has said that Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus could be worth more than anything Tesla does. He believes robots can help eradicate poverty—not just through charity or policy, but by flooding the economy with abundant labor and production. If they succeed, productivity explodes. If they don’t, the results can be surprising.
For everyday people, it’s hard to know what to make of it. Musk says robots will make life easier. He also says that it can make it meaningless. Either way, singularity doesn’t come. In his words, it’s already here. And 2026, according to Musk, is the year it will be obscure.
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The article Elon Musk Says ‘We’ve Entered the Singularity’ Announced This Year AI Becomes Smarter Than Humans – And Changes Everything Forever originally appeared on Benzinga.com.
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