Sam Altman: OpenAI Knows How to Build AGI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced that the company is confident that it knows how to build artificial general intelligence (AGI), marking a pivotal moment in its nearly decade-long mission to create transformative AI systems. Altman also predicts that AI agents could begin “materially changing the output of companies” by joining the workforce as early as 2025.

The announcement, made in a blog post, underscores OpenAI’s belief that AGI—the long-sought benchmark of AI systems capable of human-like intelligence—could soon be within reach. However, Altman revealed that the company is now setting its sights even higher, aiming for "superintelligence" tools that surpass human intelligence and could revolutionize scientific discovery and innovation. Altman said, “We love our current products, but we are here for the glorious future. With superintelligence, we can do anything else.”

Understanding AGI vs. Superintelligence

OpenAI’s roadmap includes transitioning from Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) to superintelligence, a shift that represents a leap in AI capabilities. AGI refers to AI systems that can perform any intellectual task a human can, demonstrating general problem-solving abilities and adaptability across domains. It's often described as reaching parity with human intelligence.

Superintelligence, however, surpasses human intelligence, potentially achieving capabilities beyond what the brightest humans can accomplish in areas like scientific discovery, creative problem-solving, and technological innovation. As OpenAI CEO Sam Altman describes it, superintelligence could "massively accelerate scientific discovery and innovation well beyond what we are capable of doing on our own" and could "massively increase abundance and prosperity."

While AGI is about achieving human-like general intelligence, superintelligence represents a paradigm where AI outpaces human capabilities in nearly every intellectual and creative endeavor. OpenAI’s stated goal of achieving superintelligence reflects its ambitions to drive advancements that extend far beyond today’s AI systems.

This distinction underpins OpenAI’s vision for the future: AGI as a stepping stone to an even more transformative level of AI technology.

OpenAI’s Journey to AGI

OpenAI’s path to AGI has been defined by rapid growth and groundbreaking milestones. In the blog, Altman reflects on the company’s origins nine years ago, when few believed AGI was feasible. The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 marked a turning point, as its explosive adoption not only demonstrated the potential of generative AI but also catalyzed broader interest in the field.

“The launch of ChatGPT kicked off a growth curve like nothing we have ever seen,” Altman wrote. “We are finally seeing some of the massive upside we have always hoped for from AI, and we can see how much more will come soon.”

Since then, OpenAI has scaled rapidly, growing from 100 million weekly active users to over 300 million. This period of expansion has brought both unprecedented opportunities and challenges, including the need to build a product-focused company around its research breakthroughs.

Learning from Challenges

Altman candidly addressed the difficulties of navigating uncharted territory, including his high-profile firing and subsequent reinstatement as CEO in November 2023. Describing the event as a “big failure of governance,” Altman expressed gratitude for the way it ultimately led to stronger leadership structures at OpenAI.

“My biggest takeaway is how much I have to be thankful for,” he wrote. “Good governance requires a lot of trust and credibility…I’d like to believe I’m a better, more thoughtful leader today than I was a year ago.”

Altman’s reflections highlight the delicate balance between innovation and organizational stability, particularly for a company operating at the forefront of AI development.

Iterative Deployment for Safety

As OpenAI moves closer to AGI, the company emphasizes its commitment to an iterative deployment strategy. Altman highlighted this approach in his blog, explaining that gradually releasing AI systems into the world allows society to adapt while ensuring the technology becomes safer over time. This methodology is central to OpenAI's focus on safety and alignment research, as it enables the organization to learn from real-world applications and refine its models accordingly.

A Vision for Superintelligence

While Altman reaffirms OpenAI’s commitment to AGI, he emphasizes that the company’s ambitions now extend to “superintelligence in the true sense of the word.” Superintelligent tools, he believes, could dramatically accelerate scientific discovery and create unprecedented levels of abundance and prosperity.

“This sounds like science fiction right now, and somewhat crazy to even talk about it,” Altman acknowledged. “But we’re pretty confident that in the next few years, everyone will see what we see.”

The goal of superintelligence reflects OpenAI’s broader mission to develop AI systems that benefit all of humanity. Altman envisions a future where these tools enable humanity to solve problems previously deemed unsolvable, driving progress across industries and disciplines.

Looking Ahead

Altman’s confidence in OpenAI’s ability to achieve AGI signals a turning point not just for the company but for the AI industry as a whole. However, the journey to superintelligence comes with significant challenges, from governance and safety to societal adaptation.

By embracing an iterative approach and focusing on deploying AI responsibly, OpenAI is charting a path forward that balances innovation with care. Whether AI agents will indeed transform the workforce in 2025 remains to be seen, but OpenAI’s evolving vision—shaped by its history, challenges, and ambitions—continues to push the boundaries of what AI can achieve.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.