DeepMind CEO Reveals Future of AI with Gemini and the Quest for Artificial General Intelligence

In a recent interview with 60 Minutes, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, discussed the future of AI and specifically the advancements in Project Gemini and AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). The interview showcased the Project Astra app, currently available to trusted testers, which demonstrates enhanced memory capabilities and personalization. Hassabis mentioned that the internal version of Astra can remember key details from previous conversations and has a '10-minute memory' for better context during interactions. Additionally, there was a brief demo of Astra on smart glasses.

Looking ahead, Google DeepMind is focusing on training Gemini to not only understand but also act in the world, such as booking tickets and shopping online. This aligns with Project Mariner, which Sundar Pichai previously mentioned would be integrated into Gemini. Hassabis estimates that AGI could be achieved within 5-10 years, describing it as a system that will deeply understand and be embedded in everyday life by 2030.

When asked about self-awareness, Hassabis stated that today’s systems do not feel self-aware or conscious. However, he believes it is theoretically possible for AI to develop some form of self-awareness implicitly. He emphasized that while machines can exhibit behaviors similar to conscious beings, they run on a different substrate (silicon vs. carbon), which raises questions about whether their experience of consciousness would be the same as humans.