--- title: "Sam Altman Says OpenAI Has Figured Out How to Build AGI" description: "OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is now claiming that the firm is nearing the dawn of AGI — and that he knows how to make it happen." date: "2025-01-07" modified: "2025-01-07" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/sam-altman-openai-knows-how-agi" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "agi" - "sam altman" - "superintelligence" - "the digest" --- # Sam Altman Says OpenAI Has Figured Out How to Build AGI ![OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is now claiming that the firm is nearing the dawn of AGI — and that he knows how to make it happen.]() *\Image: Mike Coppola via Getty / Futurism\* ## Path Forward OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has tried all [kinds of]() [rhetorical]() [strategies]() to suggest that the dawn of artificial general intelligence (AGI) is nigh — and in new missive, now he's trying a fresh pitch: that while OpenAI hasn't *quite* created AGI quite yet, it knows the roadmap to get there. "We are now confident we know how to build AGI as we have traditionally understood it," Altman wrote in a [personal blog post](). There's a lot to unpack about what a "traditional" understanding of AGI might entail. In the past, [OpenAI has described it]() as a "system that outperforms humans at most economically valuable work" and Altman characterized it as a "[magic intelligence in the sky]()," though an exact definition [remains shrouded]() in controversy. One thing's for sure: this latest appeal dovetails perfectly with OpenAI and Altman's current business proposition: that they can pull off economically compelling AI, if only they can [obtain more and more financial and computing resources]() to build the systems to support it. To that end, Altman wrote in his new post that AI "agents" may begin to "join the workforce" this year. In doing so, the CEO wrote, these seemingly AIs will "materially change the output of companies" — which would also mean, of course, that they'd replace human workers, with all the baggage that entails. ## Glory Days In reality, whether OpenAI is *really* on the cusp of finally birthing AGI — which [Altman has been teasing]() [for ages]() — is a matter of serious contention among experts. Sure, maybe it can fund enough data centers to scale its way to true human-level intelligence, but it's also perfectly possible that it'll [hit a wall](), or that its gains are [already leveling off](). But for all Altman's bravado, his latest entreaty sounds a lot like [OpenAI's familiar and steady drip of AGI investment pitches](). "This sounds like science fiction right now, and somewhat crazy to even talk about it," the CEO contended. "That’s alright — we’ve been there before and we’re OK with being there again." **More on OpenAI:** [*OpenAI Employee Says They’ve "Already Achieved AGI"*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()