The term AGI is often used without a clear definition, leading to unproductive debates. A better approach is to define it functionally. Either AGI is achieved when AI's impact fundamentally transforms society, or it should be viewed as a spectrum of increasing generality, not an all-or-nothing milestone.

As soon as OpenAI's Astra model nearly 'solved' the ARC AGI 3 benchmark, its creator immediately 'moved the goalposts' by announcing the next version will focus on 'open-ended invention.' This shows how the very definition of AGI is a moving target, constantly being redefined by technological breakthroughs.

Greg Brockman describes the imminent arrival of AGI not as a singular event where AI becomes uniformly superhuman, but as a 'jagged' reality. The AI will be superhuman at most intellectual computer-based tasks while still struggling with some basic tasks a human can do, making a clear definition difficult.

OpenAI's CEO believes the term "AGI" is ill-defined and its milestone may have passed without fanfare. He proposes focusing on "superintelligence" instead, defining it as an AI that can outperform the best human at complex roles like CEO or president, creating a clearer, more impactful threshold.

OpenAI now publicly labels its Astra model as AGI, a significant communications shift. This is enabled by a revised Microsoft agreement and a broader industry re-focus. The new existential threat is 'super intelligence,' making the AGI label a less controversial and more viable marketing term.

Astra's primary value isn't in improving existing workflows but in unlocking entirely new capabilities like 3D modeling and complex computer use. This reframes it as a tool that challenges users to rethink what is possible, rather than a simple upgrade for current tasks.

Recent declarations of 'AGI' by AI leaders signal the term has shifted from a technical goal to a marketing slogan. It's now used to generate hype, claim competitive superiority, and shape public perception ahead of potential IPOs, rather than denote a specific achievement.

Artificial General Intelligence—AI surpassing humans in most tasks—will be a gradual process, not a sudden, announced moment. It will "sneak in on us" as capabilities incrementally improve, without a clear before-and-after societal shift.

Dr. Li views the distinction between AI and AGI as largely semantic and market-driven, rather than a clear scientific threshold. The original goal of AI research, dating back to Turing, was to create machines that can think and act like humans. The term "AGI" doesn't fundamentally change this North Star for scientists.