Humanity has 'precious window' to prepare for AGI: Demis Hassabis
What's the story
Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, has issued a warning that humanity is running out of time to prepare for the advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI). In an essay published on X and Substack, he stressed there is a "precious window" to act before AGI arrives. AGI refers to AI that can perform cognitive tasks at or beyond human levels.
Safety measures
Proposal for US-led coalition to review AI models
Hassabis proposed a United States-led coalition to review advanced AI models for safety before their public release.
This comes after the Donald Trump administration's recent efforts to restrict OpenAI and Anthropic from releasing certain AI models.
He has long advocated for a formal body of experts to oversee cutting-edge AI breakthroughs, known as frontier models.
Regulatory framework
Vision for AI standards body
Hassabis envisions an AI standards body similar to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a private nonprofit watchdog for Wall Street.
He believes this body would likely need to be industry-funded.
In his essay, he predicted AGI is "probably only a few short years away," reiterating his previous prediction that it could arrive by 2030.
Societal impact
Need for broader societal input on AI implications
Hassabis has previously emphasized the need for philosophers, economists, and other experts to consider the broader implications of AI.
He wrote in his essay: "What values do we want to live by, what will meaning and purpose be, and how might even the human condition itself change?"
He stressed these questions cannot be left to technologists alone but require society's collective input.
Future impact
Call to action for humanity
Hassabis warned that the next five to 10 years will bring monumental changes, which he believes are not yet understood.
He wrote: "What we collectively do now will determine how the next phase of civilization unfolds."
His essay serves as a call to action for humanity to prepare for AGI and its potential impact on society.