The “Father of Artificial General Intelligence” makes alarming predictions

Computer scientist Ben Goertzel, who helped popularize the term “artificial general intelligence” (AGI), believes that AI is on the verge of a “massive explosion” in superintelligence.

“It looks like we will be able to reach human-level artificial general intelligence, and perhaps higher, within the next 3 to 8 years,” Goertzel said, closing an AGI summit sponsored in part by his own company, SingularityNET, in Panama. “Once that is achieved, artificial general intelligence can be achieved.” A radically breakthrough year.”

Although Goertzel, who has been called the “father of artificial general intelligence,” admitted that he “could be wrong,” he continued to predict that cautionary advice resulting from robot “principles of conservatism” would be the only obstacle to super-advanced artificial intelligence.

“No one has created human-level artificial general intelligence [AGI] yet; no one has a solid knowledge of when we will get there,” Goertzel said.

In recent years, Goertzel has studied a concept he calls “artificial superintelligence” (ASI), which he defines as artificial intelligence so advanced that it matches the brain power and computing power of human civilization.

Goertzel cited recent work by Google computer scientist Ray Kurzweil, who developed a predictive model suggesting that artificial general intelligence will be achievable in 2029.

Goertzel also pointed to recent improvements in large language models (LLMs) over the past few years, which have revealed to many "the potential of AI."

Finally, the computer world turned to its own infrastructure research designed to combine different types of AI infrastructure, which it called the “OpenCog Hyperon.”

The new infrastructure will combine more mature AI tools, such as MBA, with new forms of AI that may focus on other areas of cognitive thinking beyond language, whether mathematics, physics or philosophy, to help create true, more comprehensive AI.

Recall that in May 2023, Goertzel said that artificial intelligence has the potential to replace 80% of human jobs “in the next few years.” “Almost every job that involves paperwork should be automatable,” he explained at the Web Summit in Rio de Janeiro that month.

Goertzel added that he does not see this as a negative, stressing that it will allow people to "find better things to do in their lives instead of working for a living."