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- 🚨 Humanity on the Brink: DeepMind CEO Warns of AGI's Stunning Promise — and Looming Peril 🚨
🚨 Humanity on the Brink: DeepMind CEO Warns of AGI's Stunning Promise — and Looming Peril 🚨
Bajrang charan
May 15, 2025
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In a riveting, no-holds-barred conversation with TIME reporter Billy Perigro, Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of DeepMind — the AI powerhouse behind AlphaFold — made one thing stunningly clear: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is no longer a distant dream. It's nearly here.
"We may be just five to ten years away — maybe less," Hassabis confessed. "And it will change everything."
This isn't science fiction anymore. This is the future knocking at our doorstep.
🧠 AGI: The Last Invention Humanity Will Ever Need?
AGI, or Artificial General Intelligence, refers to machines that can match — and possibly exceed — human intelligence across all cognitive tasks. Hassabis, whose groundbreaking AlphaFold AI solved the protein-folding problem and earned him a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2024, believes AGI will revolutionize human life.
“If done responsibly,” he said, “AGI could cure all diseases, unlock unlimited energy, and even help us explore the stars.”
Imagine a world where cancer is history, energy is free and clean, and superintelligent systems help humanity flourish like never before. A golden age — powered by algorithms.
⚠️ But the Flip Side? Catastrophic Collapse
With great power comes even greater risk.
"This technology is dual-use. If misused, it could be devastating," Hassabis warned gravely.
He sees two existential threats looming:
Misuse by bad actors — from individuals to rogue states — who could weaponize AGI to create toxins, manipulate global economies, or worse.
Loss of control — as AGI systems evolve to become autonomous, self-improving agents, how do we ensure humanity remains in charge?
"We need guardrails that can’t be removed by the very systems we create."
🌍 Call for Global Unity: "We Need AI Treaties, Not Just Tools"
Hassabis is sounding the alarm for international cooperation — urgently.
"Whether AGI is built in the U.S., China, or elsewhere, it will affect every corner of the globe."
He envisions a world where global AI standards are non-negotiable — where companies and countries work together to enforce safety protocols, limit access to dangerous capabilities, and align AGI systems with shared human values.
🤖 Is AGI a Savior or a Tyrant?
While the AI world is divided, Hassabis walks a careful line between techno-optimism and rational caution.
On one end, AI legends like Yann LeCun scoff at AGI fearmongering. On the other, pioneers like Geoffrey Hinton — the "Godfather of AI" — have quit their jobs to warn the world.
"Smart people sit on both sides of the debate," Hassabis said. "To me, that means we just don’t know enough yet — and that should terrify us."
🧒 Raising Children in an AGI World
As a father, Hassabis says the challenge is real.
"The best thing we can do is embrace change. Learn the tools. Adapt. Thrive."
He advises future generations to blend creativity with technical depth — the key to navigating a world where humans may someday code using natural language instead of traditional programming.
🌌 The Countdown Has Begun
The message is loud and clear: AGI is coming — fast. Whether it ushers in a utopia or unleashes chaos depends entirely on what humanity does now.
"We must act with foresight — not after the fact."
From Nobel laureate to global AI prophet, Demis Hassabis is not just building the future — he’s warning us to handle it like our lives depend on it. Because they might.
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