Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, believes Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could become a reality within the next few years, signaling a transformative era for humanity.
Speaking at a recent event hosted by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Nobel Prize-winning AI researcher stated that AGI—AI systems capable of performing a wide range of intellectual tasks at or beyond human-level capabilities—may emerge around 2030.
“We’ve been calling AGI this next version of really general artificial intelligence,” Hassabis said. “I believe that we’re only a few years away from that, maybe like 2030 plus or minus a year, which is astounding to think, really.”
A New Era of Human Progress
Hassabis described the current moment as the beginning of a profound technological transition, comparing it to standing at the threshold of a major historical shift.
“When we look back at this time, maybe 10 years from now, we’ll realize that we were standing in the foothills of the singularity now,” he remarked, referring to the hypothetical point where technological growth accelerates beyond human comprehension.
According to Hassabis, 2026 has already become a pivotal year for AI development. Advances in AI agents and tool-using systems have made the technology increasingly valuable in real-world work environments, providing researchers with greater clarity on the path toward AGI.
Time Running Short for Preparation
While optimistic about AI’s potential, Hassabis emphasized that preparing for AGI should not be limited to technology companies and researchers alone.
“Society needs to hear that because we don’t have long to prepare for what that means. It’s going to be enormously profound,” he said. “The future is still to be written, but these next few years are going to be very critical in determining how we collectively shape that future.”
Growing Industry Consensus on AGI Timelines
Hassabis’ prediction adds to a growing chorus of technology leaders forecasting the arrival of AGI within the coming decade.
Last year, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stated that the company understands how to build AGI “as traditionally understood” and suggested AI agents could soon become active participants in the workforce.
Similarly, Elon Musk has repeatedly predicted rapid AI advancement, saying in late 2025 that AGI could arrive as early as 2026. He also expressed confidence that by 2030, AI systems may surpass the combined intelligence of all humans.
Other voices within the AI community argue that AGI may already exist in some form. Shaw Walters, founder of Eliza Labs, has suggested that current frontier AI models already demonstrate characteristics of general intelligence.
Skepticism Remains
Despite growing optimism, many researchers remain cautious about declaring AGI achieved. Critics point to ongoing limitations in reasoning, adaptability, and learning in unfamiliar situations.
In March, the ARC Prize Foundation released its ARC-AGI-3 benchmark designed to evaluate an AI system’s ability to learn and adapt to new environments. Leading models from major AI developers—including Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI—scored below 1%, while human participants achieved perfect results.
The debate is further complicated by the absence of a universally accepted definition of AGI. Malo Bourgon noted that differing interpretations make it challenging to determine exactly when AGI has been reached.
“There are many different definitions,” Bourgon explained. “When we ask whether a particular system qualifies as AGI, the answer often depends on which definition is being used.”
Rapid Change Ahead
Regardless of where AGI stands today, Hassabis remains convinced that technological progress is accelerating at an unprecedented pace.
“Everything is going to change in the next 10 years, probably more than people assume,” he said.
As AI capabilities continue to advance, the discussion around AGI is shifting from whether it will arrive to how society can best prepare for its potential impact on industries, economies, and daily life.
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