Sir Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, has boldly predicted that artificial intelligence (AI) could be capable of curing all diseases within the next ten years.
Speaking at The Times Tech Summit, the British AI pioneer suggested that achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) — AI with human-like cognitive abilities — is within reach, with only “two or three big innovations” required.
Hassabis, who co-founded DeepMind in 2010 and sold it to Google for £400 million in 2014, defined AGI as “a general system capable of performing any cognitive task that humans can.” He said this has always been the ultimate goal for AI, and one that DeepMind is actively pursuing.
Among DeepMind’s achievements is the AlphaFold project, which has been hailed as a breakthrough in protein prediction, with potential applications in developing new antibiotics, cancer treatments, and materials science.
While optimistic about the future, Hassabis acknowledged both the immense promise and the potential risks posed by AI. He criticised those downplaying AI’s impact, arguing that the technology will be “epoch defining” and far more transformative than the internet or mobile phones. However, he also stressed that AI must be developed and managed with care to prevent potential harm.
Despite the risks, Hassabis expressed confidence that AI will have overwhelmingly positive effects, predicting breakthroughs in disease treatment, climate change solutions, and energy, alongside significant productivity improvements and enhancements to everyday life. He believes that these benefits could be realised within a decade, marking a monumental shift in human progress.
