# A 1960 population forecast shows the limits of extrapolating AI growth

DevFeed: [A 1960 population forecast shows the limits of extrapolating AI growth](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/a-1960-paper-said-human-population-would-go-infinite-next-month-it-s-about-8-3-billion-84961.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.techspot.com/news/114165-1960-prediction-humanity-would-reach-infinity-next-month.html>)

Author: Skye Jacobs

Published: 2026-10-11T17:28:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [TechSpot](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/techspot.md>)

Topics: [self-service](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/self-service.md>), [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>)

Tags: [doomsday](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/doomsday.md>), [forecast](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/forecast.md>), [predictions](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/predictions.md>), [scaling-laws](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/scaling-laws.md>), [science](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/science.md>), [tech-culture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tech-culture.md>)

## AI overview

A 1960 hyperbolic model projected infinite population growth by November 2026, but the relationship between population size and growth rates later weakened. The article uses this failed forecast to caution that AI scaling laws may describe current progress without proving that acceleration will continue indefinitely.

## Source excerpt

Heinz von Foerster and his colleagues reached their prediction using a hyperbolic growth model. Unlike exponential growth, where a population increases at a constant percentage rate, hyperbolic growth assumes the rate itself rises as the population grows. Read Entire Article