• 2026: This is AGI Years ago, some leading researchers told us that their objective was AGI. • Eager to hear a coherent definition, we naively asked “how do you define AGI?”. • They paused, looked at each other tentatively, and then offered up what’s since become something of a mantra in the field of AI: “well, we each kind of have our own definitions, but we’ll know it when we see it.” This vignette typifies our quest for a concrete definition of AGI. • It has proven elusive. • While the definition is elusive, the reality is not. • Coding agentsare the first example.
Article Summaries:
- Summary
In 2026, the article argues that artificial general intelligence (AGI) is no longer a theoretical goal but a practical reality, marked by the emergence of coding agents and long‑horizon agents that can autonomously solve complex tasks. The author proposes a functional definition of AGI: an AI that can “figure things out” by combining pre‑training knowledge, inference‑time reasoning, and iterative problem‑solving. This definition emphasizes real‑world impact over technical detail, suggesting that AGI’s value lies in its ability to perform autonomous, multi‑step tasks-such as sourcing qualified talent-without human instruction. The piece frames 2026 as the year AGI’s practical capabilities become mainstream.
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