According to a clip, Steve Jobs predicted ChatGPT over 40 years ago when he envisioned machines capable of interactive thinking. A newly unveiled digital exhibit from the Steve Jobs Archive features a revealing 1983 presentation by Steve Jobs. The footage, captured at the International Design Conference in Aspen, showcases Jobs discussing a groundbreaking technology. Jobs predicted that machines capable of responding to questions and thinking like humans would revolutionize the world.
During his speech, Jobs reflected on his experience with books. He admired how books could deliver information directly from the source to the reader. However, Jobs was critical of their lack of interactivity. He expressed a desire for a medium where readers could pause and ask questions directly, an interaction not possible with traditional texts.
The Future of Intelligent Machines
Jobs envisioned a future where machines could embody the essence of great thinkers. He speculated that if future scholars could carry such machines and input their thoughts throughout their lives, these machines could potentially answer questions about the scholars’ perspectives long after their deaths.
Fast forward over 40 years, and the world is witnessing the realization of Jobs’ vision. Modern AI companies are developing chatbots like ChatGPT, trained on extensive data from books and various sources. These chatbots are designed to engage with users, providing answers and sometimes even adopting the persona of historical figures.
While the accuracy of these responses can vary, they represent a novel method of interacting with people, ideas, and historical knowledge. Jobs’ early predictions about the evolution of interactive technology highlight how his forward-thinking ideas have come to fruition in today’s AI-driven world.
Advances in Generative AI
Steve Jobs predicted ChatGPT over 40 years ago, long before such technology was realized. Around 40 years after Steve Jobs’ foresight, society is witnessing significant advancements in generative AI. Tools like large language models (LLMs), commonly known as AI chatbots, embody Jobs’ vision of interactive technology. These AI systems are trained on extensive datasets to recognize patterns and connections between words and topics. They generate new text, images, or audio based on user prompts.
An LLM, for example, can be trained on the works of Aristotle and respond to queries in a manner that mimics how Aristotle might have answered. This aligns with Jobs’ prediction of machines capable of emulating historical figures’ responses.
Today’s technology companies are also aiming for a higher level of AI: artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI refers to artificial intelligence that can perform tasks at or above human capability. The timeline for achieving AGI remains uncertain among experts.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and X, has predicted that AGI could emerge by 2026. He shared this outlook during an April 24 interview with Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management. In contrast, Robin Li, CEO of Baidu, estimated that AGI might be a decade away. He made this prediction during the VivaTech conference in Paris in May.
Steve Jobs’ Accurate Predictions
Steve Jobs predicted ChatGPT over 40 years ago, imagining a future where AI could interact in a human-like manner. Steve Jobs’ predictions about technology have often come to pass. In a 1985 interview with Playboy magazine, Jobs forecasted that computers would become integral to home life. At that time, less than 10% of U.S. households owned a computer. Today, nearly 95% of U.S. households have at least one computing device, according to recent Census data.
Jobs also anticipated that computers would facilitate online communication. He envisioned that connecting to a nationwide communications network would be a major reason for home computer use. This foresight predated the creation of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee, which revolutionized information sharing. Since Berners-Lee’s first website in 1991, the number of websites has soared to approximately 1.88 billion as of 2021, according to the World Economic Forum.
