What is AGI and why do people fear it?

The era is changing with innovations in the tech field. Recently, several new tech tools have emerged, and big tech companies are investing in areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI).

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pledged to invest billions of dollars in developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

What is AGI?

AGI, or Artificial General Intelligence, refers to a machine or software capable of performing any intellectual task a human can.

This means handling common sense reasoning, understanding cause and effect, and more. 

In simpler terms, AGI aims to mimic human cognitive abilities, allowing it to tackle unfamiliar tasks, learn from new experiences, and apply knowledge in innovative ways.

How is AGI different from AI?

While traditional AI is designed for specific tasks like translation or playing games and doing specific tasks, AGI seeks a broader, more generalised intelligence not limited to any one task.

Why do people fear AGI?

People have concerns about AGI for several reasons. Some worry about its environmental impact, including energy consumption and e-waste generation.

Others fear job loss due to automation. There's also concern about control with fears that AGI could be concentrated in the hands of a few, leading to security vulnerabilities and loss of basic human skills.

Some even fear scenarios depicted in sci-fi movies where AGI acts against human interests.

Prominent figures in AI, like Geoffrey Hinton, Yann LeCun, Yoshua Bengio, and the late Stephen Hawking, have warned about the dangers of AGI, with some likening it to the threat posed by nuclear weapons.