DeepMind CEO says Google to spend more than $100B on AGI despite hype

According to Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, Google isn’t shying away from the competition presented by Microsoft in the realm of artificial intelligence.

At a TED event in Canada, Hassabis shared his belief that Google would invest over $100 billion in the future for the advancement of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This statement was made during a query regarding Microsoft’s “Stargate” project announcement.

Stargate

Microsoft and OpenAI are said to be in talks over a potential $100 billion collaboration to construct a supercomputer. Based on unnamed sources who have interacted with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and viewed initial cost plans, this project goes by the name “Stargate” within the ongoing discussions.

For a clearer understanding, let me rephrase that: The proposed expenses seem substantial. To give you an idea of the financial investment required, the construction of the world’s most potent supercomputer, “Frontier,” located in the US, amounted to $600 million.

The report describes Stargate not as a solitary system like Frontier, but rather a network of computers. This network will be established in five stages, with the fourth stage representing the final “Stargate” system prior to the ultimate one.

Artificial general intelligence

Hassabis’ comments suggest that Google may match or even surpass Microsoft’s efforts in response, according to his remarks, although he did not provide specific details on how Google will do so.

In essence, the goal is clear-cut for both businesses: they’re in a race to create the first artificial general intelligence (AGI). Current AI technology, however, is limited by its instruction methods and data availability. As a result, it fails to meet human-level intelligence standards across various tests.

An advanced artificial intelligence (AGI) is a term used to describe a machine system that theoretically possesses the same capabilities as an average adult human, provided it has adequate resources. Given access to financial instruments like a line of credit or cryptocurrency wallet, and the internet, an AGI system could potentially establish and manage its own business.

Cryptocurrency

The primary hurdle for becoming the pioneer in creating Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) lies in the lack of a definitive scientific agreement on what constitutes AGI or how it can be engineered.

Among well-known AI experts like Yann LeCun from Meta and Demis Hassabis at Google, there’s ongoing debate about whether it’s possible to create Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) through the existing approach of expanding datasets and adjusting training settings. Some question if this method will ultimately succeed.

In an article published in March by the Financial Times, Hassabis expressed caution against the current excitement surrounding AI and AGI, drawing parallels to past speculative bubbles in the cryptocurrency market. Despite the hype, both AI and crypto have seen significant growth financially within the first four months of 2024.

In April 2023, Bitcoin, the widely used cryptocurrency, was priced around $30,395 per coin. However, its value has since increased and is now over $60,000 as of this writing. It had previously reached an all-time high of approximately $73,000 before experiencing a recent decrease.

During this time frame, Microsoft, currently the front-runner in AI technology, has witnessed its stock price surge from $286 per share to approximately $416.

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2024-04-16 20:18