'Please chill': Sam Altman shuts down AGI rumours, asks users to 'cut expectations 100x'

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has dismissed rumours about the imminent deployment of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Altman clarified that the company is not close to achieving AGI and urged people to lower their expectations. He stated, "Twitter hype is out of control again. We are not gonna deploy AGI next month, nor have we built it. We have some very cool stuff for you, but pls chill and cut your expectations 100x!"

The speculation began when Altman asked users on X, formerly known as Twitter, for feedback on OpenAI's platforms. Many users suggested the development of AGI, leading to assumptions that the company was heading in that direction. A blog post by Altman discussing OpenAI's long-term confidence in achieving AGI further fuelled the excitement. However, Altman has now clarified that AGI is not on the immediate horizon.

AGI refers to artificial intelligence capable of performing any intellectual task as well as a human, unlike current AI systems like ChatGPT, which are designed for specific tasks. While AGI is a significant goal for the AI industry, it remains a distant target due to the need for major breakthroughs in understanding intelligence.

Altman acknowledged in his blog that there is still much unknown about achieving AGI. For now, OpenAI is concentrating on enhancing its existing systems and introducing more advanced tools.

Though AGI is not imminent, OpenAI may be preparing to launch AI agents—sophisticated systems capable of independently handling complex, goal-oriented tasks with minimal human input. Reports indicate these agents could be released as early as January 30, 2025. Altman suggested that these agents could transform business operations, stating in his blog, "We believe that, in 2025, we may see the first AI agents 'join the workforce' and materially change the output of companies."

These AI agents could function like highly skilled assistants, capable of making decisions, adapting to various situations, and solving problems with expertise. While they represent progress towards AGI, they are not equivalent to it. Altman's tweet makes it clear that OpenAI is still in the early stages of exploring AGI.