MiniMax Co-Founder Sets New Milestone for Achieving Artificial General Intelligence
At the Goldman Sachs Asia Leadership Conference in Hong Kong on September 1, MiniMax co-founder Yeyi Yun outlined a new milestone for achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI). According to Yun, AGI will be reached when AI can autonomously generate 1% of global GDP. This definition gives a concrete target to work towards, as opposed to the often abstract and philosophical definitions commonly associated with AGI.
Currently, global GDP is around $110 trillion. One percent of that would be approximately $1.1 trillion, roughly equivalent to Mexico's entire annual output. Yun pointed to autonomous capabilities such as planning, execution, and self-assessment as indicators that the industry is heading in this direction.
MiniMax itself has made significant strides towards AGI. The company reported first-half 2026 revenues of $117 million, a 283% year-over-year increase. Open platform services contributed $74 million of that total, up an astonishing 703% from the prior year period. Yun also set another ambitious target during her appearance: $1 billion in annual recurring revenue by the end of 2026.
MiniMax has over 236 million users across more than 200 countries and is focused on enhancing model intelligence rather than raw expansion. The company has leaned into open-weight model releases, making some of its technology available for developers and researchers to build upon. This strategy has contributed to the company's rapid growth, with shares surging 109% on debut day.