Sundar Pichai Understands Why People Are Anxious About A.I.
Roose: The last time we had you on, we asked you about A.G.I. and your feelings about the term. At the time, you responded that it didn’t really matter whether you reached A.G.I. or not, because the systems are going to be very, very capable, and Google’s strategy should be the same. I noticed that you did not say A.G.I. in your keynote. Demis [Hassabis] did, but you did not. What’s your relationship with the term A.G.I. today, and the idea that all of this progress is building toward something singular and world-changing? Pichai: There is inevitable progress toward A.G.I. that’s happening. I have long understood it, otherwise I wouldn’t have pivoted the company 10 years ago to put that technology at the heart and center of the company. All I meant by that statement was that even in the scenario where A.G.I. is going to take 10 years, the technology — which is three years out — will be so much more powerful than what we have today that I don’t want people to …

