Google AI Chief Predicts Human-Level Artificial Intelligence Within 3 Years

Demis Hassabis, the Nobel Prize-winning chief scientist at Google DeepMind, has revised his forecast for the advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI), predicting that AI could surpass human cognitive abilities across all tasks within the next two to three years. This timeline represents a significant acceleration from his earlier estimates.

Hassabis, who founded Google DeepMind, previously stated AGI was three to five years away. In a 2025 interview with 60 Minutes, he had projected AGI's integration into daily life by 2035. "It’s soon," Hassabis stated in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, "I’m updating nearer and nearer."

His revised prediction comes amid growing public concern and debate surrounding the rapid development of AI. A recent poll by ABC News and The Washington Post indicated that 52% of Americans believe AI is bad for society, while 42% view it as beneficial. Protests against AI development and calls for regulation have become increasingly common globally, with some communities pushing back against the construction of AI data centers.

Hassabis, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry two years ago for his groundbreaking work on protein structure prediction with AlphaFold, defended AI's potential benefits. He highlighted its capacity to revolutionize drug discovery and address complex diseases.

"I don’t see any insurmountable obstacles currently," Hassabis said when asked about AI's potential to cure diseases like cancer. "I see hard things, but not impossible things." His team at Isomorphic Labs, a Google subsidiary, is focused on developing AGI models to accelerate the discovery process for new treatments.

Several prominent figures in the AI industry have also expressed concerns about the pace of development. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay advocating for slower advancement and greater industry coordination. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have publicly agreed with Amodei's call for a more cautious approach.

Hassabis has proposed the creation of an industry-funded body, overseen by federal authorities, to monitor AI technology before its public release. He acknowledged that federal regulation might struggle to keep pace with AI's rapid evolution but noted that leading AI executives regularly discuss monitoring mechanisms. Hassabis also confirmed he communicates with other AI CEOs, though he alluded to some interpersonal dynamics within the industry.