ET@Davos: Demis Hassabis on China, Apple and AGI

In this episode of ET@Davos, ET’s Sruthijith KK speaks to Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind and Nobel Laureate 2024, on the future of AI. The chess prodigy-turned scientist-turned-AI pioneer explains how DeepMind balances frontier research with a billion-user scale. Hassabis says Google’s Apple partnership followed direct model comparisons where Gemini prevailed; China is now only months behind the West but lacks frontier breakthroughs; and AGI could arrive within a decade, triggering “post-scarcity” abundance. He defends AI’s energy demands, citing AI-designed fusion and grid optimisation. From Transformers to AlphaFold, Hassabis argues Google pioneered modern AI but moved too slowly. His bottom line: within 5–10 years, machines will be doing original science. The stakes couldn’t be higher.You can follow Sruthijith K.K. on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like: When Grinch Almost Stole Gig Workers' Christmas, How Will a Volatile ₹ Impact You in 2026?, How Quick Commerce is Triggering a Health Crisis for Gen Z, India’s Labour Law Reboot, Viral to Valuation: Building Women’s Cricket as a Brand and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.