AI vs. AGI

Artificial intelligence is all around us these days, and the topic of AI has been increasingly popular as this technology improves. With the launch of GPT-4, some people have questioned whether we've reached the level of true human-like intelligence from machines. We're not quite there yet, but the difference between where we are now and that theoretical milestone is the difference between AI and AGI.

What Is AI?

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is the ability of a machine to learn and to create meaning from what it learns, a level of intelligence typically thought of as human intellect. This can include decision-making, language translation, and visual perception. Part of what we think of as AI comes from natural language processing, the ability of modern AI to understand human language. As this technology has grown and expanded, it's become widely available in everyday life in ways you may not have noticed until AI chatbots like ChatGPT and visual art creators like Midjourney became popular. AI can be used to help improve your grammar, teach you new languages, and update you on the weather. AI technology isn't meant to act as a replacement for human intelligence, but it's intended to streamline tasks for humans so they can focus on more meaningful work.

What Is AGI?

Artificial general intelligence, or AGI, is a more advanced version of AI where computers can accomplish any intellectual task humans are capable of. In essence, AGI is AI that can think and act just like a human autonomously. This level of machine intelligence is a popular science-fiction trope, but it has yet to be achieved in real life. In fact, it's debatable whether AGI is even achievable.

AI vs AGI: What's the Difference?

The difference between AI and AGI is that while AI can be trained to complete specific tasks, AGI is capable of autonomous learning and thought just like a human. As AI technology evolves, we're getting closer and closer to what might be considered to be AGI, but we may never actually get there. However, both AI and AGI have the potential to revolutionize business across multiple industries and have a variety of helpful effects on our daily lives.