Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said artificial general intelligence, or AGI, could emerge in some form within six to 18 months, arguing that model capabilities are advancing in major steps roughly every two months. His forecast, made at the Ford Pro Accelerate event in Detroit during a conversation with Fortune’s Diane Brady, places AGI as early as the end of 2026, although AGI has no universally accepted definition. Schulman is steering Verizon toward an AI-native operating model, with an initial $20 million employee-reskilling commitment that could rise to $60 million, a four-layer AI technology stack targeted for completion by November 2026, a $1 billion dark-fiber agreement with Google and additional edge-computing and infrastructure partnerships. Verizon expects revenue from these efforts alongside broader AI infrastructure buildouts by 2027. Schulman also warned that advances in AI and robotics could increase unemployment by 20% to 30% over the next two to five years. Existing coverage described a separate $70 million Verizon initiative offering free AI training to American workers through local organizations, creating a discrepancy with the newer reskilling figures. He previously said Verizon, which has more than 250,000 employees and contractors, would need to move from defined roles toward a more fluid organization. Other executives at the event emphasized that AI would augment skilled workers and that telecom and power infrastructure still face labor shortages. Schulman has urged businesses and governments to use scenario planning, safeguards and training to prepare for faster-than-expected technological change.