NVIDIA paper on AI self-evolution sparks debate over 2028 ASI timeline

The Red Queen Gödel Machine: a name that sounds like a rejected Doctor Who villain, but is actually NVIDIA and Cambridge's latest contribution to the AI arms race. The paper describes a system that can generate and test its own code, which is just a fancy way of saying 'we've taught it to give itself upgrades.' Naturally, this has sparked a debate about whether we'll hit ASI by 2028 — because what else would you do with a self-improving AI but set an arbitrary deadline?

The irony is almost too thick to cut. The paper is being reported by Kucoin, a crypto exchange, which is like having your AI safety briefing delivered by a roulette wheel. But sure, let's all get very excited about a system that writes its own code and then tests it. Because what could possibly go wrong with a machine that can recursively optimise itself without human oversight? I'm sure the Cambridge researchers have included a sufficiently robust kill switch. Probably.

Meanwhile, the '2028 ASI timeline' debate rages on, with tech optimists predicting utopia and everyone else quietly updating their CVs. The Red Queen Machine is named after a character who had to keep running just to stay in place — which feels apt. We're running faster and faster, and the finish line keeps being moved to 'any day now.' At this rate, the AI will be evolving itself while we're still arguing about whether it's a good idea. Splendid.