ET@Davos 2026: AGI should lead to fresh understanding of how the world works, says Google DeepMind CEO

Artificial general intelligence (AGI) should generate new theories and lead to a new understanding of how the world works, Demis Hassabis, CEO and co-founder of Google DeepMind, told Sruthijith KK in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“If we do this, I think we will accelerate science and human health. I think we will have incredible medical solutions and we will be in a world of radical abundance,” said the British computer scientist and Nobel laureate, who described DeepMind as Google’s engine room.

He said the Chinese have made great progress in the artificial intelligence race thanks to talented teams and funding.
“A few years ago, I would have said they were a year or two behind. Maybe now they’re only six to 12 months behind,” he said. “But I think they haven’t demonstrated innovation across borders yet. The next transformers, the next AlphaGo, you know… So far I think they’re all coming from the West and US companies.”