At Google DeepMind's London headquarters, a team of over 1,000 researchers is pursuing what many consider the most ambitious goal in the history of computer science: artificial general intelligence, or AGI.
Unlike today's AI systems, which excel at specific tasks but struggle to transfer knowledge across domains, AGI would possess the cognitive flexibility to learn and reason about anything a human can, and potentially much more.
The lab's approach combines insights from neuroscience with advanced machine learning techniques, attempting to build systems that don't just pattern-match from training data but develop genuine understanding of the world.
Timeline predictions vary wildly even within the lab, with some researchers believing key breakthroughs could come within a decade while others argue that fundamental conceptual barriers remain unsolved.
What is clear is that the pursuit of AGI has moved from the realm of science fiction into the mainstream of technology research, attracting billions in investment and some of the world's most talented scientists.
