AI can not only boost global GDP, raise productivity, and move us forward as a species, but it can also help understand ourselves better.
Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, has highlighted a fascinating aspect of artificial intelligence research: its potential to illuminate the very essence of intelligence itself. Recent breakthroughs in AI, from protein folding predictions by AlphaFold to the creative prowess of large language models like Gemini, underscore the rapid advancements in the field and hint at the transformative potential that lies ahead. However, these advances also raise fundamental questions about what constitutes intelligence, consciousness, and the very nature of human thought.
“I think the science of AI is about trying to explore and understand what intelligence is..the best expression of understanding something is actually trying to build it,” he said in an interview.
This perspective positions AI research not merely as an engineering endeavor, but as a deeply scientific one. By attempting to replicate intelligence in machines, we are forced to confront the complexities and nuances of human cognition. We are compelled to define, dissect, and ultimately understand the very building blocks of intelligence.
“And so that’s what the engineering science of AI is about. And if you build it in a general enough way, like we’re trying to do with artificial general intelligence, the whole point of that is that it could be applied to anything, any kind of problem, any kind of data,” Hassabis said.
This alludes to the ultimate goal of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – a system capable of learning and applying knowledge across a broad range of domains, much like a human being. This ambition reflects a core belief about human intelligence: its remarkable adaptability and flexibility.
Hassabis concludes his thought by highlighting this very adaptability. “Much like the human mind, we seem to be infinitely adaptable in a way, and we’ve invented modern society around us with our brains,” he says.
The creation of AGI, therefore, isn’t simply about building more powerful machines; it’s about mirroring this adaptability, creating systems capable of not just solving specific problems but also learning, adapting, and innovating in unforeseen ways. By striving to create intelligence, we are embarking on a journey of self-discovery, a quest to understand the very essence of what makes us human. The implications of this quest are profound, offering a potential pathway not just to technological advancement, but also to a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe.