‘We crossed that about 3 months ago': A16z's Marc Andreessen drops huge bombshell about AGI on Joe Rogan's podcast

GPT-5.5, Claude 4.6, Gemini 3.0 all made AGI a reality simultaneously

ChatGPT smashed the Turing Test years ago when it first launched

Physical AI is the next step – AGI could power real-world robots

In a recent interview on The Joe Rogan Experience, Marc Andreessen stated that the very latest frontier models have finally enabled artificial general intelligence (AGI), which he describes as AI that’s on par with humans.

Andreessen argues that models like GPT-5.5, Claude 4.6 and Gemini 3.0 are now “as smart as a person,” concluding that AGI is no longer coming soon but rather it’s already here as of 2026.

Speaking with Joe Rogan, the leader and former software engineer explained that “99% of the time, the answer that I’m getting from the AI… is better than I would get from talking to basically almost any expert I have access to.”

AGI’s boundaries keep shifting, but it was probably hit in 2026

Instead of crediting one single model provider with having reached the momentous milestone, he stated that multiple industry leaders reached the same point at the same time, a few months before the interview (in the first half of 2026).

The result is a system that behaves like a world-class doctor, lawyer, programmer and more, combining the fluidity of reasoning and problem solving with the ability to recall enormous amounts of information in an instant.

Indicating that the definition of AGI has been evolving in recent years, he cited the Turing Test, which served as the gold standard of AI achievement for around six decades. With the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, “we blew right through the… test.”

But despite ongoing achievements, Andreessen claims that society failed to stop and appreciate how significant this is, causing the public to vastly underestimate how quickly AI is progressing.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also been an influential speaker in the AGI area, though he’s yet to acknowledge that GPT models have officially achieved this status. The nearest the OpenAI CEO has come to noting this landmark occasion is to refer to GPT-5.5 as “autistic general intelligence” in an X post – a mockery that shares the same initialism as ‘artificial general intelligence’.

In a January 2025 blog post, he declared: “We are now confident we know how to build AGI as we have traditionally understood it.”

In other words, while Andreessen believes AGI is here, Altman now proposes that AGI, a fluid milestone, is no longer so significant in AI’s timeline.

AGI’s future and the ‘AI vampire’

In the interview, Andreessen also writes off any concerns that AI will replace human jobs, likening the revolution to electricity, computers and, later, the Internet. Overall demand will continue to expand as productivity continues to grow, but workers could be affected in other ways.

He specifically mentioned the ‘AI vampire’, where many workers could actually end up working more to produce more, to the point that many are becoming addicted to producing more work and sleeping less.

Importantly, though, Andreessen sees AGI powering the real-world implementation of AI: robotics. Specifically referring to Tesla’s explicit and near-exclusive use of cameras in self-driving, he explains how Musk’s companies are on track to introduce physical AI through Tesla’s autonomy, xAI’s conversational intelligence and Optimus’ humanoid embodiment.

Just weeks ago in an X post, Altman expressed excitement about AGI accelerating research, companies and citizens in achieving their goals.

While Marc Andreessen asserts that AGI has already arrived, industry figures like Sam Altman maintain a more cautious stance on the milestone. One thing is clear though – the focus is now shifting toward the practical implications of computer intelligence as it transcends into the physical world.

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With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!