Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, describes the current phase of artificial intelligence as a “threshold moment,” suggesting that AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) could emerge within the next five years. According to Hassabis, the next breakthrough in AI may be 10x bigger than previous advances and closer than many anticipate.
He highlighted milestones like AlphaFold, which revolutionised protein structure prediction and accelerated scientific discovery. AI, he noted, is rapidly expanding its impact across healthcare, drug discovery, climate research, and advanced scientific modelling.
Hassabis also pointed to India’s growing influence in the global AI ecosystem, referencing research initiatives in Bengaluru, visits to the Indian Institute of Science, and partnerships with Reliance Jio to expand access to Gemini AI models for millions of users.
However, alongside rapid innovation, Hassabis emphasised the importance of robust scientific guardrails, safety research, and responsible governance. As AI systems grow more capable, ensuring alignment, transparency, and ethical oversight becomes critical.
Overall, the message is clear: AI’s acceleration is no longer incremental it’s exponential. The real question is whether society, policy, and infrastructure are ready to evolve at the same pace.
){kind=link}