[Article] “How AI-driven feedback loops could make things very crazy, very fast” by Benjamin Todd

What if the next decade doesn't gradually ease us into an AI future, but catapults us through a century's worth of change in less than ten years? This article explores three interconnected 'explosions' that could unfold once AI becomes capable enough to improve itself, revealing how feedback loops — where progress in one area accelerates progress everywhere else — could transform the pace of civilisation faster than most people realise. Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(02:10) 1. The intelligence explosion(02:14) Algorithmic feedback loops(06:26) Hardware feedback loops(09:19) Where could this end up?(11:07) 2. The technological explosion(13:33) 3. The industrial explosion(13:38) Robotic worker feedback loops(17:36) A few common counterarguments(20:08) Two views of the future of advanced AI The original text contained 28 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: February 4th, 2026 Source: https://80000hours.org/articles/how-ai-driven-feedback-loops-could-make-things-very-crazy-very-fast --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.