The Quest for AGI: Can Machines Become Truly Intelligent?

On November 17, 2023, OpenAI's board of directors abruptly ousted co-founder and CEO Sam Altman. The official explanation centered on concerns about Altman's leadership, specifically his handling of artificial intelligence (AI) safety and allegations of abusive behavior towards staff and board members

However, rumors swirled that Altman's removal stemmed from a different cause: the development of a potential Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) named Qstar within OpenAI. An AGI is a hypothetical AI that would possess human-level or even surpassing intelligence and capabilities.

While the rumors of Qstar's existence were never substantiated, they highlighted the growing anxieties surrounding the development of advanced AI and the potential risks it could pose.

What is AGI?

After all this a question arises in mind of many of you that what is AGI? so here is basic explanation of AGI

Artificial General Intelligence in short AGI is a advanced AI that poses ability to self teach. AGI can match and even surpass the human ability to think and develop something creative. The aim of this kind of AI is to learn by itself.

Current AI have predetermined parameter about what to do. For example AI that can generate image cannot write an essay or AI that can write an essay cannot drive a car because all these programmed to do specific task and don't have ability to learn something new by themself but AGI posses ability to self understanding and ability to learn new skills, AGI can solve complex problems and can learn new skills which were not taught to it during its creation. In spite of that AGI remains theoretical concept and topic of research.

The Challenges of Building an AGI: Why Super-Intelligent Machines Are Still a Dream

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) promises machines that can think and learn like humans. But while it sounds amazing, there are significant hurdles researchers need to overcome:

1. Emotional Intelligence: The Missing Spark of Creativity

We often imagine machines with emotions, but replicating this in AI is a major challenge. Current deep learning models might claim emotional recognition, but they lack true emotional understanding. This limits their creativity, a key aspect of human intelligence.

2. Sensory Perception: Beyond the Screen

AGI needs to be more than software. It needs to interact with the physical world like we do. Imagine a robot that can't tell the difference between a ripe and rotten tomato! Existing AI and robots need a sensory upgrade to perceive the world through color, taste, smell, sound, shape, and touch.

AGI could revolutionize every aspect of our lives, tackling complex problems and pushing the boundaries of human achievement. However, this power demands immense responsibility. As we delve deeper into the unknown, prioritizing safety research and open discussions about the ethical implications of AGI are paramount. Only through careful consideration and collaboration can we ensure that this powerful technology serves humanity for the greater good.

~ Ashutosh Mishra