Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, spoke at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 26, 2024, where he commented on China’s Deepseek AI model. He acknowledged its impressive quality, labeling it “probably the best job to come out of China,” while noting that it does not represent significant scientific advancements, as it relies on existing AI techniques. Deepseek’s recent claims of cost-effective AI development have sparked debate and skepticism among experts regarding the true expenses involved.
Hassabis also discussed the broader implications of AI developments and stated that the industry is progressing towards artificial general intelligence (AGI), which he defined as a system capable of exhibiting all cognitive abilities of humans. He estimated that we might be five years away from achieving AGI, urging society to prepare for its benefits while addressing potential risks. His insights echo sentiments from other industry leaders, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, about the imminent arrival of AGI, although concerns over control and safety issues remain prevalent among experts like Max Tegmark and Yoshua Bengio.
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