The critical difference between AI and AGI lies in their scope and capabilities:
Contextual vs. Context-Independent: AI systems are designed to operate within a specific context or problem domain. For example, a chatbot designed to answer customer queries is trained and optimized for that task but may struggle to comprehend and respond to questions outside its designated domain. AGI, on the other hand, would possess contextual independence, allowing it to transfer knowledge, learn new tasks, and adapt to various situations without specific training.
Specific Learning vs. General Learning: AI systems are trained using specific datasets and algorithms tailored to their task. They excel at learning patterns and rules relevant to their domain of operation. AGI, however, would be able to learn and generalize knowledge across different domains, like how humans can transfer learning from one task to another or apply past ability to new situations.
Limited Autonomy vs. Self-Awareness: AI systems operate within predefined boundaries and require explicit instructions or supervision to perform tasks. They lack genuine autonomy and awareness of their actions. AGI aims to exhibit self-awareness, consciousness, and the capacity for independent decision-making, enabling it to operate autonomously without constant human intervention.
Artificial General Intelligence remains a theoretical concept, and researchers and scientists are actively working toward its development.
Even while limited AI fields have seen significant advancement, developing AGI presents substantial technical, ethical, and philosophical problems that have not yet been fully solved.