What is artificial general intelligence, and why is Google's head of AI calling for "urgent measures" to control it

The CEO of Google DeepMind and Nobel laureate in Chemistry, Demis Hassabis, has warned that artificial general intelligence (AGI) could arrive "in three or four years," urging "urgent measures" to ensure this technology is developed safely.

According to the executive, the evolution of AI is advancing faster than the regulations intended to govern it. Hassabis believes that the development of these systems can no longer be addressed solely through competition between companies or countries, but requires international coordination to reduce the risks associated with the most advanced models.

What is artificial general intelligence?

General artificial intelligence (AGI) is a system capable of matching or exceeding human capabilities in virtually all cognitive tasks, unlike current systems, which are specialized in specific functions. Hassabis warns that future models could acquire an ever-greater degree of autonomy and even improve themselves without human intervention. He also points out that researchers themselves do not yet fully understand the internal workings of the most advanced models, which makes it difficult to predict their behavior and establish reliable safety mechanisms.

Despite these risks, the head of Google DeepMind argues that the technology could profoundly transform society. In his opinion, general artificial intelligence could accelerate scientific research, facilitate the discovery of new drugs, drive the development of clean energies, and enable the creation of new materials. In this way, it would significantly improve the quality of life. Finally, he warns that the decisions made in the coming years will be crucial.

For this reason, Hassabis proposes creating an international oversight body composed of technical experts to establish common safety standards and evaluate the most powerful models before their release. Initially, he suggests that companies voluntarily submit their most advanced systems to it, but argues that these evaluations should eventually become mandatory as the technology continues to evolve.