While predicting AGI could usher in a “new golden age” of scientific discovery, healthcare and economic growth, the Google DeepMind chief cautioned that urgent global cooperation is needed to address emerging cybersecurity.
BY PC Bureau
July 15: Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has warned that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) may be just “a few short years away,” urging governments and technology companies to establish a global framework for regulating frontier AI before the technology surpasses society’s ability to manage its risks.
In a lengthy essay published on X titled “A Framework for Frontier AI and the Dawning of a New Age,” Hassabis described the emergence of AGI as a defining moment in human history.
“Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)… is probably only a few short years away,” Hassabis wrote.
Calling the present moment “the dawning of a new age for humanity,” he argued that AGI would be unlike previous technological breakthroughs.
“AGI cannot be compared to standard technological breakthroughs… it is much more akin to the discovery of electricity or fire,” he said.
Hassabis, who has spent decades working on artificial intelligence and whose company has been at the forefront of AI research, said the technology could dramatically accelerate scientific discovery, transform healthcare, develop cleaner energy technologies and unlock unprecedented economic growth.
He described AI’s emergence in striking terms, writing, “We’ve essentially found a way to make sand think.”
According to Hassabis, the impact of AGI could be “10x of the Industrial Revolution at 10x the speed,” fundamentally reshaping economies and scientific research.
Warning Over AI Risks
While expressing optimism about AI’s potential, Hassabis warned that the rapid pace of development has created significant safety challenges.
He noted that frontier AI systems are already raising concerns in cybersecurity and cautioned that future models could introduce biological, nuclear and other national security risks.
“Advances on the frontier are outpacing our understanding of the technology,” he wrote.
He added that no one can predict with certainty how AI capabilities will evolve, arguing that caution should accompany innovation.
“Nobody in the world knows for sure what is going to happen from here,” Hassabis said.
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Proposal for Independent AI Standards Body
To address these challenges, Hassabis proposed creating a dedicated Frontier AI Standards Body in the United States.
The proposed organisation would independently test advanced AI systems before deployment, establish technical safety benchmarks, evaluate cybersecurity and biosecurity risks, and work alongside federal agencies and US National Laboratories.
Initially, participation would be voluntary, but Hassabis suggested that certification could eventually become mandatory for the most powerful AI models entering the US market.
The body would also encourage frontier AI developers to publish technical documentation, strengthen internal cybersecurity and invest more heavily in AI safety research.
— Demis Hassabis (@demishassabis) July 14, 2026
Call for Global Cooperation
Although the proposal focuses on US leadership, Hassabis stressed that AI governance ultimately requires international collaboration.
He argued that common global standards will be essential because advanced AI will affect every country.
“The future is not yet written,” he concluded. “We must use this precious window before AGI arrives to shape this technology for the benefit of all humanity.”
Hassabis said responsible stewardship of AGI could usher in “a new golden age of scientific discovery and progress” while ensuring that the technology benefits society as a whole rather than creating unacceptable risks.
