We all have either heard, experienced or talked about the potential of artificial intelligence, and how it is transforming the world. The emergence of platforms like Open AI’s Chat GPT & other content generation tools has placed this magnificent technology in the hands of everyday users who can even use it for mundane tasks. From automatic email responses to generating scripts for YouTube videos, AI is being used in every walk of life (literally).
What is Artificial General Intelligence?
As we continue to see improvements and innovation in the field of AI, another concept that we need to be aware of is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). AGI, let’s put it simply, is serious business. Despite varying definitions, the most easily understood definition is
a system that is equipped to outperform humans in all aspects.
Previously, AI-backed tools or products were focused on improving or enhancing particular tasks such as email generation, image creation, disease management etc. They are proficient in solving one problem, but AGI can solve all problems, at once.
Another keyword is cognitive abilities. The ability of a system to think in a human manner, and make decisions accordingly. Once the system is able to expand its capacity in terms of generalised thinking, backed by the ability to adapt to different tasks, it becomes an entirely different phenomenon.
Imagine that it gathers all the human knowledge in the world, and processes it at a thousand times faster. With the help of AGI, that thought is not unfathomable anymore.
Constant Learning & Teaching
Another pressing issue around the world of AGI is how quickly it will learn & adapt to solve different problems, eventually creating more AGIs. After all, we humans created AI to solve our problems, what will keep this from becoming an infinite loop? We have created a simple, yet fun diagram to explain this possibility:
AGI’s Impact on Jobs
When Chat-GPT became a global sensation, everyone thought they’d lose their jobs. The only reason why the impact was not significant, was because it was still a human being making key decisions at the end. If AGI begins to make decisions, it will be an entirely different scenario.
Consider the example of an AI device that can detect diseases. The process of taking an X-ray, producing the results and putting it down in a presentable format can be already automated. However, the difference arises when the technology would also be able to recommend future action based on the results. It could essentially replace the doctor. This may seem a long way off currently, but AGI could potentially have a much bigger impact on jobs, than AI.
The way forward and what to do about it?
Germany, France & Italy have already reached an agreement on the future of AI and its regulations. They want to regulate the use of AI-based applications and yet continue to make strides with the technology. Read more about it here.
Learn, become aware and understand that Artificial Intelligence is still not magic, but it’s very close to it. Being AI-literate is key for everyone because eventually, we all will determine how much interference of AI we want in our everyday lives. If you don’t know how it works, you can’t minimise its impact. The future of AGI is exciting, but it also could be dark, and full of terrors!
