March 21, 2025 By: JK Tech
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—machines with the ability to think, learn, and reason like humans, has remained a distant goal for many years. However, the discussion has taken a new turn. Key figures in the AI industry now suggest that AGI might become a reality sooner than thought.
OpenAI’s Bold Statement
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, made a striking announcement earlier this year. He stated that the company “knows how to build AGI as we have understood it.” This claim carries significant weight, as AGI has long been seen as the ultimate achievement in artificial intelligence—something that could transform our world.
However, not everyone agrees with this assessment. Critics point out that current AI models still face challenges with basic reasoning and deep comprehension, which puts true AGI out of reach for now. While AI can create text, images, and even code, it lacks genuine thinking abilities. Some experts believe OpenAI’s statement serves more to generate excitement and draw in investors rather than signaling a real breakthrough.
AI Business Is Taking Off
No matter where AGI is right now, one thing’s clear—AI means big money. OpenAI’s worth has shot up to $150 billion, thanks to ChatGPT’s success, which now boasts over 300 million users each week.
People with money are going all-in on AI. Just last year, AI startups got 37% of the $275 billion in global venture capital funds. A lot of this cash is going into “agentic AI”—AI helpers made to handle real-world jobs. From sorting emails to running customer service, these AI-powered digital workers are becoming real fast.
Hope, Fear, and the AI Race
As AI grows, industry big shots have mixed thoughts. They’re excited about new ideas, but they’re also worried about keeping things safe and under control.
Demis Hassabis, who runs Google DeepMind, has spoken up about his concerns comparing it to when nuclear tech was new. He thinks we need to be careful when making AGI to stop people from using it. At the same time, Dario Amodei, the boss at Anthropic, warns that AI’s quick growth—plus countries trying to outdo each other—could lead to problems no one saw coming.
A Need for Regulation?
With AGI coming soon, some experts want a global regulatory group—something like the International Atomic Energy Agency, which watches over nuclear development. Hassabis has even proposed an international research effort to make sure we develop AGI instead of in a crazy race to be first.
What Happens Next?
Whether AGI is close or just another overblown tech idea, AI keeps getting better fast. The big question isn’t just when AGI will show up, but how we’ll deal with it when it does. If machines can think like humans, are we ready for what that means?
