Could AI Achieve General Intelligence, and What Would That Even Mean?

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the concept of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and the lack of consensus on what it actually means. It explores the different perspectives and understandings of AGI among experts in computer science, cognitive science, policy, and ethics, and the challenges in interpreting announcements and claims about AGI.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Race to Artificial General Intelligence

1. What is the main issue discussed in this section?

• The article discusses the lack of consensus on what Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is, despite increasing claims and announcements about it.
• Experts in different fields have their own distinct understandings and opinions about the concept of AGI and its implications or plausibility.
• Without a clear definition or consensus, it can be difficult to interpret announcements and claims about AGI, its risks, and benefits.

2. What are some examples of the different perspectives on AGI?

• The article mentions that in 1970, computer scientist Marvin Minsky predicted that soon-to-be-developed machines would be able to "read Shakespeare, grease a car, play office politics, tell a joke, have a fight."
• The "coffee test" often attributed to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak proposed that AGI will be achieved when a machine can enter a stranger's home and make a pot of coffee.

3. What are some of the recent claims and announcements about AGI?

• Microsoft researchers declared last year that GPT-4 shows "sparks of AGI".
• At the end of May, OpenAI confirmed it is training its next-generation machine-learning model, which would boast the "next level of capabilities" on the "path to AGI."
• Some prominent computer scientists have argued that with text-generating large language models, AGI has already been achieved.

[02] The Need for a Consensus on AGI

1. What is the key challenge identified in this section?

• Without a consensus on what AGI actually describes, it is difficult to know how to talk about AGI, test for AGI, and manage the possibility of AGI.

2. What is the main takeaway from this section?

• To better understand and address the issues around AGI, we need to get a better grip on what the term "Artificial General Intelligence" actually describes.