In recent years, multiple reports have suggested that OpenAI is prioritizing shiny products like AGI (artificial general intelligence) over safety practices and culture, sparking criticism and concern about its commitment to a humanity‑focused mission.
To that end, we've never received a clear definition of what AGI actually means. The term has seemingly become a buzzword thrown around by big tech corporation executives with a different meaning each time it is referenced.
In a recent episode of the Big Technology Podcast, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently indicated that we might have already achieved the coveted benchmark without even knowing it:
One thing I would love, it's we've got it wrong with AGI, we never defined that. The new term everyone's focused on is when we get to superintelligence. So, my proposal is that we agree that you know AGI kinda went whooshing by. It didn't change the world that much, or it will in the long term, but okay, fine, we built AGIs. At some point, we're like in this fuzzy period where some people think we have and more people think we have.
"Okay, what's next?" added Sam Altman. "A candidate definition for superintelligence is when a system can do a better job being President of the United States, CEO of a major company, or, you know, a scientist running a very large lab than any person can even with the assistance of AI."
This news follows comments from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who suggested they were easing off the race toward AGI. Nadella emphasized real‑world impact from AI, while Altman remained focused on self‑replication.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time Altman has talked about achieving AGI. In 2024, the executive predicted that the coveted benchmark would be achieved within 5 years, further explaining that it would whoosh by with surprisingly little societal impact.
Google's DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis seemingly shared the same sentiments, further claiming that the world is on the verge of achieving AGI. However, he warned that society isn't ready to handle all that it entails, and the prospects keep him up at night.
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman warned about the possibility of conscious AI and how it could potentially cause harm to humanity. The tech giant's new agreement with OpenAI allows it to pursue AGI independently or in collaboration with third parties.
However, Suleyman has expressed the company's stance on developing AI designed to serve humans, as the company pursues superintelligence, not the other way around. He also revealed that the company was ready to pull the plug on its AI efforts if it was established to be a threat to humanity.
Is it possible that the AI industry might have already achieved and surpassed AGI? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll!
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