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As AI advances, the meaning of artificial general intelligence remains murky

Testing for AGI may not be the best measure of AI’s abilities and impacts

People in a blue-lit convention hall stand before a towering display with an illustration of connected communities under a sign saying "AI Inside for a New Era."

A display at the March 2025 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona touts advances in artificial intelligence. The goal of artificial general intelligence, however, remains ill-defined and controversial.

Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images

By Lauren Leffer

When Chinese AI startup DeepSeek burst onto the scene in January, it sparked intense chatter about its efficient and cost-effective approach to generative AI.