artificial general intelligence: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low-to-medium frequencyTechnical, academic, business, and futurist discourse
Quick answer
What does “artificial general intelligence” mean?
A type of artificial intelligence that can understand, learn, and apply its intelligence to solve any problem in the same way a human being can.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A type of artificial intelligence that can understand, learn, and apply its intelligence to solve any problem in the same way a human being can.
A theoretical AI system with cognitive abilities indistinguishable from human intelligence, capable of reasoning, planning, learning, and transferring knowledge across different domains. In technology discussions, it refers to the aspirational goal of creating AI with broad, adaptable intelligence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling differences for 'artificial' and 'intelligence' are irrelevant as both are spelled the same. The phrase is used identically in both varieties, though it appears more frequently in US tech publications due to Silicon Valley's influence.
Connotations
Largely identical connotations, though in UK contexts it may be discussed with slightly more caution regarding ethics and regulation.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English due to the concentration of AI research firms and publications.
Grammar
How to Use “artificial general intelligence” in a Sentence
Researchers are striving to develop artificial general intelligence.The company's long-term goal is the creation of artificial general intelligence.Many experts debate when artificial general intelligence will be achieved.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “artificial general intelligence” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The team hopes to AGI-ify their platform eventually.
- They are not trying to AGI anything yet.
American English
- The lab is working to AGI-enable the core architecture.
- It's premature to talk about AGI-ing the system.
adverb
British English
- The system performed AGI-ly on the broad test suite. (highly unconventional)
American English
- The model reasoned AGI-style across domains. (highly unconventional)
adjective
British English
- It's an AGI-level problem.
- The AGI-capable framework is still theoretical.
American English
- We need an AGI-ready infrastructure.
- That's an AGI-aligned goal.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In business strategy, refers to a transformative future technology that could disrupt entire industries and labour markets.
Academic
A central theoretical concept in cognitive science, computer science, and philosophy of mind, often discussed in terms of feasibility, timelines, and ethical implications.
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation. When used, it typically refers to sci-fi-like intelligent robots or computers from films.
Technical
A specific research goal in AI/ML, focusing on architectures, learning paradigms, and benchmarks for general problem-solving ability.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “artificial general intelligence”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “artificial general intelligence”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “artificial general intelligence”
- Using 'AGI' to refer to any advanced AI (most current AI is narrow).
- Confusing it with 'generative AI' (like ChatGPT).
- Incorrect pluralisation: 'artificial general intelligences' is rare and awkward; prefer 'AGI systems'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Generative AI is a form of narrow AI specialised in creating content. AGI refers to a hypothetical system with broad, human-like understanding and reasoning across any domain.
No, AGI does not yet exist. All current AI systems are considered 'narrow' or 'weak' AI, excelling at specific tasks but lacking general, adaptable intelligence.
AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) refers to human-level machine intelligence. ASI (Artificial Superintelligence) is a hypothetical intelligence that surpasses human intelligence in virtually every field.
AGI is considered a potential technological singularity point that could radically transform society, economics, and scientific discovery, hence the focus on both its development and its safety.
A type of artificial intelligence that can understand, learn, and apply its intelligence to solve any problem in the same way a human being can.
Artificial general intelligence is usually technical, academic, business, and futurist discourse in register.
Artificial general intelligence: in British English it is pronounced /ˌɑː.tɪˌfɪʃ.əl ˌdʒen.ər.əl ɪnˈtel.ɪ.dʒəns/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɑːr.t̬əˌfɪʃ.əl ˌdʒen.ər.əl ɪnˈtel.ə.dʒəns/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The holy grail of AI”
- “The singularity (related concept)”
- “Human-level machine intelligence”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember AGI: A General Intellect. Think of it as an AI that's a 'generalist', like a human general practitioner doctor, not a specialist.
Conceptual Metaphor
A 'Digital Mind', 'Synthetic Consciousness', 'A Brain in a Box', 'The Master Algorithm'.
Practice
Quiz
What is the key distinguishing feature of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)?