What is AGI (artificial general intelligence)? Well, the answer is increasingly becoming more complex as top AI labs continue to make significant breakthroughs in the ever-evolving landscape. It seems to me that there's a new definition for the term each time it pops up in any conversation.
While tech leaders in the space like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman want to deliver real-world impact and self-replication using the technology, rising AI startups seemingly have their eyes on achieving the coveted AGI benchmark.
Earlier this year, a report released intricate details about Microsoft and OpenAI's multibillion-dollar agreement, which defined AGI as a powerful system with the ability to generate up to $100 billion in profit. But AGI is generally defined as an AI-powered system that surpasses human cognitive capabilities across various tasks.
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis says AGI could be achieved within the next decade, but is worried society isn't ready to handle all it entails. The executive indicated that the prospects keep him up at night.
More recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman proposed a future test to determine true AGI while speaking to David Deutsch.
Sam Altman proposed a future AGI test:if a model like "GPT-8" solved quantum gravity and could explain the reasoning behind its discoverywould that qualify as AGI?David Deutsch agreed that it would qualify as AGI, making it a potential benchmark pic.twitter.com/X8peVc7gEzSeptember 25, 2025
According to Sam Altman:
"You mentioned Einstein and general relativity, and I agree. I think that's like one of the most beautiful things humanity has ever figured out. Maybe I would even say number one... If in a few years... GPT-8 figured out quantum gravity and could tell you its story of how it did it and the problems it was thinking about and why it decided to work on that, but it still just looked like a language model output, but it was the real- it really did solve it..."
British physicist David Deutsch agreed that the new benchmark would be a definitive test for artificial general intelligence. However, Altman's theory raises some questions.
While GPT-8 could potentially figure out quantum gravity, it doesn't necessarily mean that it'll be a master across a wide range of topics. As such, this would make it difficult for GPT-8 to constitute AGI.
That aside, the OpenAI CEO recently indicated that today's systems weren't designed for an AI-driven world, creating a need for new hardware and software. This is after he'd previously claimed that the revolution wouldn't need new tech.
