Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): Between promises and reality

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing processes, task allocations and organizational structures in companies. AI is fundamentally changing the interaction between people and technology and is therefore also having a lasting impact on corporate culture. The changes are particularly evident in the culture of innovation, internal communication and cooperation. A current impulse paper from Plattform Lernende Systeme shows the company levels at which AI is driving cultural change in the company and which changes are necessary to make the use of AI human-centered. Use cases illustrate how employees' reservations regarding the introduction of AI can be successfully overcome and how they can be actively involved in processes.

The term AGI is ambiguous and is defined in different ways; interpretations range from functional intelligence to conscious experience. The idea builds on the earlier concept of "strong AI", which aimed to fully reproduce or simulate human intelligence, including consciousness and intentionality. AGI is framed differently by various actors — as a promise of progress, a risk or a science‑fiction scenario — and its ambiguity leads to distorted public debates.

Technological paths: scaling versus hybrid approaches

Two approaches currently dominate the debate in AI research: the scaling thesis advocated by large tech companies holds that AGI could be achieved by increasing model size, data volume and computational power. Proponents already point to contemporary language models such as GPT‑5 as evidence of performance gains from scaling. Critics, however, argue that scaling alone is insufficient to realise capabilities such as transfer learning, causal reasoning, deliberation or autonomy.

As an alternative, hybrid AI models are proposed, which combine data‑driven neural networks with knowledge‑based, symbolic AI to achieve better generalisation and explainability. A successful example is AlphaFold, an AI system that predicts protein folding with previously unattainable accuracy. Other approaches on the road to AGI include evolutionary methods and the idea of embodied AI, according to which genuine intelligence can only arise through physical interaction with the environment.

Philosophical dimensions and legal questions

The debate about AGI raises fundamental philosophical questions. A central issue is the very definition of intelligence: is the ability to solve problems and learn sufficient, or are creativity, consciousness, embodiment and autonomy inseparably part of it?

From legal and ethical perspectives, the development of AGI would have far‑reaching consequences. For example, it would be necessary to clarify questions of liability for damage caused by an autonomous AGI system. Existing legal principles assume a traceable human chain of responsibility, which would break down in the case of true AGI. Would AGI therefore need to be granted its own legal status, similar to legal personhood? Further questions arise about loss of human control and concentration of power. Powerful AI systems concentrated in the hands of a few tech companies also raise concerns and call for democratic oversight.

Conclusion: AGI remains a vague but powerful concept. The debate is not only technical but reflects profound questions about our understanding of intelligence, subjectivity and what it means to be human. Safety, control, philosophical definitions and international governance are the central open questions that require broad societal engagement and on which experts from Plattform Lernende Systeme take a position.

About the format: KI Kompakt

KI Kompakt offers a concise, well‑founded and scientifically grounded overview of current developments in the field of artificial intelligence and highlights potentials, risks and open questions. The analyses are produced with the support of experts from Plattform Lernende Systeme and are published by the secretariat. The fourth issue of the series, titled "Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – Between promises and reality", is available for free download.