A 1960 paper said human population would go infinite next month. It's about 8.3 billion

What happened

Heinz von Foerster and his colleagues reached their prediction using a hyperbolic growth model. Through the looking glass: The world's population is expected to reach roughly 8.3 billion by the middle of next month, far short of the mathematically infinite population predicted by a 1960 forecast.

The population changes the model captured did not continue. Unlike exponential growth, where a population increases at a constant percentage rate, hyperbolic growth assumes the rate itself rises as the population grows.

Science Tech Culture predictions doomsday A 1960 paper said human population would go infinite next month. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust .

The failed prediction has relevance for debates over artificial intelligence. Eventually, the model reaches a singularity, at which point the calculated population diverges to infinity in finite time.

The researchers placed that point in November 2026. The forecast drew on global population estimates from approximately 1 CE through 1958.