Deepmind's Hassabis sees humanity "in the foothills of the singularity" while LeCun says current AI isn't intelligent

Three top researchers, three takes on where AI stands right now.

Yann LeCun, AI researcher at AMI Labs, suggests that current LLMs aren't intelligent, because real intelligence doesn't show up in accumulated knowledge or learned skills but when you solve new problems without any prior training. He cites a paraphrase of psychologist Jean Piaget's position: "Intelligence is not what you know, it's what you do when you don't know."

LeCun via LinkedIn

LeCun is working on AI technology that goes beyond the Transformer LLMs we know today. He's argued in the past—even with a Deepmind researcher—that LLMs aren't what's needed for child-like learning, which itself would be a precursor for true intelligence.

Deepmind co-founder Demis Hassabis, usually known for his restraint, already sees humanity "standing in the foothills of the singularity," expecting a "profound moment for humanity." Those words will likely end up in the history books, no matter how things play out.