We stand today at an extraordinary point in human history. Technological progress has always seemed gradual, yet change occasionally accelerates exponentially, reaching a tipping point that transforms everything. Futurists call this moment “the singularity.” And we are now at its summit, a moment akin to a roller-coaster reaching its highest peak. The thrill and tension are palpable, but the real challenge begins as we descend. The coming years promise not incremental change but a rapid, disruptive plunge — one that will redefine work, society and even what it means to be human.

The first stage of this descent is the emergence of artificial general intelligence (AGI) — machines capable of understanding, learning and applying knowledge across domains, much like a human mind. Unlike narrow AI, which excels at specific tasks such as language translation or image recognition, AGI possesses adaptability and reasoning skills across contexts. Leading tech companies and research groups suggest we are already at the threshold of this milestone.

Yet AGI is only the beginning. The next stage is insularity, a phase where AI begins to improve itself independently. At this point, humans can no longer control the pace of progress. Machines become their own agents of innovation, designing smarter successors and iterating faster than any human could comprehend. Here, the pace of technological advancement will outstrip society’s ability to adapt — a gap likely to produce significant social, economic and political turbulence.

We are already witnessing this dynamic in industry. Consider Hyundai Motor, where labor unions initially resisted automation, fearing that robots would replace workers. Early protests were fierce, rooted in the same instinctive fear that has accompanied every........

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