What’s The Difference Between AGI and ASI in Simple Terms

Lets talk about Artificial Intelligence. Most people know what Artificial Intelligence is..

Not many people know what comes after that.. That is what is really important.

First, Let's Look At The Artificial Intelligence We Use Today

We use Artificial Intelligence for things like searching the internet filtering out spam emails and getting recommendations on Netflix. This kind of Artificial Intelligence is called Narrow Artificial Intelligence. It is really good at one thing.

For example a computer program that plays chess cannot write an email. A program that recognizes pictures cannot drive a car. Each program is good at one thing and one thing only.

Think of Narrow Artificial Intelligence like a team of athletes who're really good at one sport. They are the best at what they do.

They cannot do anything else.

Now There Are Two Ideas That Are Going To Change Everything

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is an Artificial Intelligence system that can do anything a human can do.

• It can do all the things a human can do not one thing.

• It can read a book understand it and then write a business plan using the same information.

• It can learn a language in a few hours just like it can learn to write code.

• It can switch from debugging software to writing music to drafting documents all in the same day.

This is not about being fast. It is about being able to do things and being able to use the knowledge it has to solve problems.

Most researchers think that Artificial General Intelligence is not a question of if but when. Some people think it will happen in five years while others think it will happen in fifty years. But one thing is for sure it is going to happen.

Then there is Artificial Superintelligence (ASI). This is an Artificial Intelligence that's smarter than humans. Not a little smarter, but a lot smarter.

It is like comparing a human to a chimpanzee. We do not fully understand what a chimpanzee thinks when it watches us build a skyscraper or write a symphony. It is beyond what the chimpanzee can understand. Artificial Superintelligence would be like that. For humans.

Artificial Superintelligence would be able to solve problems in a few minutes that humans have been working on for centuries. It could make itself smarter and smarter. It could understand things that we do not even have words for.

This is what researchers call the Intelligence Explosion. It is when a system becomes smarter than humans and can make itself even smarter. It happens very fast.

So how do we get from where we're now to Artificial General Intelligence and Artificial Superintelligence?

It is like a ladder with three steps.

• The first step is Narrow Artificial Intelligence, which's what we have now.

• The second step is Artificial General Intelligence, which's what we are working towards.

• The third step is Artificial Superintelligence, which's what comes after that.

The difference between the second steps is huge.. The difference between the second and third steps could be very small. It could happen in a few months because Artificial General Intelligence could make itself smarter and become Artificial Superintelligence very quickly.

This Is Not A Story About The Future. It Is A Story About What's Happening Now.

The companies that are building Artificial Intelligence systems now are the companies that are working on Artificial General Intelligence. The decisions we make now are going to affect what happens in the future.

So What Do You Need To Know About Artificial Intelligence?

• Narrow Artificial Intelligence is like a specialist.

• Artificial General Intelligence is like a generalist.

• Artificial Superintelligence is beyond what humans can do.

You do not need to be an expert to understand this. You do need to be a part of the conversation. Because Artificial General Intelligence and Artificial Superintelligence are not just going to be technology stories. They are going to be stories, political stories and human stories.

One question to think about is: If Artificial General Intelligence happens in your lifetime what do you want humanity to have figured out before that day?

Remember, Artificial General Intelligence and Artificial Superintelligence are not just ideas. They are going to change everything.. We need to be ready. Because the decisions we make now are going to affect what happens in the future.. We want to make sure that we make the right decisions.

So lets talk about Artificial Intelligence and what it means for our future. Lets make sure that we are ready for what is going to happen.

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