‘This revolution is happening in years, not decades’: Verizon CEO Dan Schulman sees AGI within 18 months—and a century of progress in a decade

Verizon CEO Dan Schulman predicted a rapid and transformative development in artificial intelligence (AI) during the Ford Pro Accelerate event in Detroit. He forecasted that an intelligent form of AI, known as AGI, could be achieved within 18 months, and a century's worth of progress might occur within a decade. Schulman emphasized that AI models are currently the worst we will ever use, but every two months bring significant advancements in their power.

AGI refers to systems capable of reasoning and performing broadly across domains, rather than excelling at discrete tasks. Schulman argued that AI's economic and social impacts will arrive faster than conventional mechanisms for absorbing technological change, such as training systems, labor markets, corporate restructuring, and public policy.

He stated that "progress we would have made over 100 years will happen over the next five to 10 years," noting that "the technology and how fundamental it will be" are difficult to imagine.

Verizon, with more than 250,000 employees and contractors, must adapt to the changing workforce organization. Schulman emphasized the need for safeguards and additional safeguards around AI. He urged corporate leaders and policymakers to prepare for difficult scenarios, investing in training programs for American workers. Verizon recently announced a $70 million initiative to provide free AI training and support career development for American workers.

Schulman concluded that "everybody's job is going to shift," and that leaders and policymakers must address potential risks and create guardrails to minimize disruption.