Kardashev index
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No reliable data yet
AccelerationFour-dimensional viewin 53 yearsEstimate
2080
Toward Kardashev Type I (speculative)
Speculative: a Type I civilization needs about 10¹⁶ watts, roughly 500 times today's level; at historical growth rates that is still centuries away, so this only marks the direction.
Art style · Dyson structure concept art (speculative)
Origin of Life on EarthDinosaurs and MammalsAI Agents
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Civilization metrics
Each sparkline shows the documented history of a metric on a logarithmic time axis. The dot marks the selected moment.
Near this moment
The eight closest milestones. Select a title to jump there.
Epoch AI estimates that training runs of about 2×10²⁹ floating-point operations will likely be feasible by 2030. Source · Forecast by Epoch AI
The International Energy Agency projects global data center electricity use of about 945 TWh in 2030, more than double the 2024 level. Source · Forecast by International Energy Agency (IEA)
Scenario forecast (2029–2031): interactive generated worlds may be used for creative work, training and robot simulation. Long-run consistency, physical accuracy and cost will determine where they are usable; a playable scene is not a trustworthy simulation of reality. Confidence in direction: medium to low. Year is a browsing anchor. Source · Forecast by e-acc.ai scenario (2026-10-08)
The Metaculus community's median forecast for the public announcement of the first general AI system is around 2032 (subject to change). Source · Forecast by Metaculus community forecast
Under its 2024 baseline, ITER plans to begin research operation in 2034 and deuterium-tritium operation in 2039. Source · Forecast by ITER Organization
Kurzweil predicts humans will merge with machines by 2045, an event he calls "the Singularity." Source · Forecast by Ray Kurzweil
The medium scenario of the UN's World Population Prospects 2024 projects a world population of about 9.7 billion in 2050. Source · Forecast by UN Population Division (WPP 2024)
The UN projects world population will peak at about 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s and then decline. Source · Forecast by UN Population Division (WPP 2024)
Scenes across eras
Each era illustrated in its own style.
Every timeline entry cites its source. Metrics interpolate logarithmically between sourced data points. Forecasts include institutional and community views, and attributed site scenarios; years are not guaranteed realization dates. Illustrations are AI-generated in each era's style.