DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis on the Promise—and Perils—of AI’s Future

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, shared his perspective on artificial general intelligence (AGI) and the ethical deployment of AI technologies in an exclusive interview with Time Magazine. Hassabis believes AGI—AI systems with human-level cognitive abilities—could be realized within the next few years if current progress continues. Although optimistic about the technology’s transformative potential in fields like healthcare and climate science, he expressed serious concerns about how AI could be weaponized.

Hassabis emphasized the need for proactive regulation and international cooperation to ensure AI is developed and deployed responsibly. He pointed out DeepMind’s internal safety-focused initiatives and underlined his personal commitment to building AI for the benefit of humanity. The conversation also touched on DeepMind’s collaboration policies, with Hassabis cautioning against military applications of the technology unless under strict ethical frameworks. As AI capabilities advance rapidly, Hassabis calls on governments, companies, and researchers to work together to steer AI’s development toward global good rather than short-term advantage.