<p>Google DeepMind has launched a new research institute focused on one of artificial intelligence’s biggest unanswered questions: what happens to society if artificial general intelligence, or AGI, becomes a reality?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The DeepMind Institute will bring together researchers from Google DeepMind and outside organisations to examine the potential effects of advanced AI on the economy, science and everyday life. The launch comes as the AI industry faces a growing debate over safety, regulation and how quickly frontier systems should advance. Google DeepMind says the institute is intended to encourage research and discussion rather than promote a single view of the future.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For 20+ years <a href="https://x.com/ShaneLegg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShaneLegg</a> and I&#39;ve discussed AGI’s potential impact on the economy, science &amp; society. With the DeepMind Institute, we&#39;re expanding interdisciplinary research on key questions for the AI era. We hope it spurs the discussions needed to get the next steps right:…</p>&mdash; Demis Hassabis (@demishassabis) <a href="https://x.com/demishassabis/status/2100230524383981702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2><strong>What will the DeepMind Institute study?</strong></h2><p>The institute will examine questions that go beyond building more capable AI models.</p><p>Its research areas include economic policy in an AGI-driven world, how AI systems explain their reasoning, access to advanced AI across different regions and the potential impact of AI on human wellbeing.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The initiative is being led by Shane Legg, Google DeepMind’s co-founder and chief AGI scientist, as managing editor. Google senior vice president James Manyika and DeepMind co-founder and chair Demis Hassabis are also involved in its leadership. Hassabis said he and Legg had discussed AGI’s possible impact on the economy, science and society for more than 20 years.</p><p>He said the new institute would expand that work through interdisciplinary research and help generate the discussion needed as AI develops.</p><h2><strong>DeepMind says researchers may disagree</strong></h2><p>One notable feature of the institute is its acknowledgement that there may not be a single answer to how advanced AI should be developed or managed. In its introductory material, Hassabis, Manyika and Legg said Google, Google DeepMind and researchers elsewhere could reach different conclusions as evidence changes.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The aim, therefore, is not simply to predict the future. It is to study the possible consequences of AGI and give researchers, policymakers and the wider public more information about the choices ahead. Google DeepMind already describes AGI as a potential major transformation for society, while its research has explored possible pathways from human-level AGI towards more advanced forms of machine intelligence.</p><h2><strong>Why is this happening now?</strong></h2><p>The timing is significant.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has recently called for the frontier AI industry to slow the pace at which model capabilities improve, arguing that safety work needs to keep up with rapidly advancing systems. Hassabis has supported greater cooperation around AI safety, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also backed the idea of “pacing the frontier”. The debate has now spread beyond AI companies, with governments and policymakers discussing how advanced AI should be governed. Google DeepMind’s new institute does not amount to a decision to slow AGI development. Instead, it signals that one of the world’s leading AI labs wants a broader research effort examining what AGI could change and how society should prepare for it.</p>

Google DeepMind has launched a new institute to study how artificial general intelligence could affect society, science and the economy. Led by Shane Legg with Demis Hassabis and James Manyika involved, the initiative will bring together internal and external researchers.

Google DeepMind has launched a new research institute focused on one of artificial intelligence’s biggest unanswered questions: what happens to society if artificial general intelligence, or AGI, becomes a reality? The DeepMind Institute will bring together researchers from Google DeepMind and outside organisations to examine the potential effects of advanced AI on the economy, science and everyday life. The launch comes as the AI industry faces a growing debate over safety, regulation and how quickly frontier systems should advance. Google DeepMind says the institute is intended to encourage research and discussion rather than promote a single view of the future.

<p>Google DeepMind has launched a new institute to study how artificial general intelligence could affect society, science and the economy. Led by Shane Legg with Demis Hassabis and James Manyika involved, the initiative will bring together internal and external researchers.</p>

Google DeepMind launches new institute to study how AGI could change society

<p>Demis Hassabis, the British computer scientist who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry on Wednesday (Oct 9), has a Google connection. He is the cofounder of the company DeepMind, which was acquired by the tech behemoth.</p>

<p>Hassabis, who shared the Nobel with Professor John Jumper, and US-based Professor David Baker for their work on proteins, has an impressive bio.</p>

<p>Hassabis and Jumper were able to map the structure of proteins, the fundamental building blocks of life, with accuracy through the AI tool they developed, called AlphaFold2.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-what-is-microrna-discovery-awarded-the-nobel-prize-in-medicine-765294"><strong>Also read: Explained: What is microRNA? Discovery awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine</strong></a><br />
<br />
The Nobel committee described the innovation as a "complete revolution" that helped in the study of 200 million proteins worldwide. Their work will help in developing treatments for antibiotic resistance, understanding enzyme behaviour, and creating vaccines.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nobel-prize-in-physics-awarded-to-john-hopfield-and-geoffrey-hinton-765583"><strong>Also read: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Demis Hassabis: Chess prodigy to Nobel laureate</strong></h2>

<p>Demis Hassabis, 48, was a child chess prodigy.</p>

<p>Born to Greek-Cypriot and Singaporean parents, he grew up in London&nbsp;and became a chess master when he was 13.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: AI poses extinction-level threat</strong></p>

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<p>Before Nobel, the Cambridge University graduate won numerous awards for his work in computer game design.</p>

<p>Hassabis, who graduated in computer science, worked in various American universities after getting his PhD from University College London.</p>

<p>In 2010, he cofounded the machine learning company DeepMind that was acquired by tech giant Google in 2014.</p>

<p>DeepMind combines neuroscience and machine learning to solve various problems. It was in news in 2016, when its AlphaGo programme beat a human&nbsp;Go player Lee Sedol, a world champion, in a five-game match.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Demis Hassabis, the British computer scientist who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry on Wednesday (Oct 9), has a Google connection. He is the cofounder of the company DeepMind, which was acquired by the tech behemoth.

Demis Hassabis, the British computer scientist who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry on Wednesday (Oct 9), has a Google connection. He is the cofounder of the company DeepMind, which was acquired by the tech behemoth. Hassabis, who shared the Nobel with Professor John Jumper, and US-based Professor David Baker for their work on proteins, has an impressive bio. Hassabis and Jumper were able to map the structure of proteins, the fundamental building blocks of life, with accuracy through the AI tool they developed, called AlphaFold2. Also read: Explained: What is microRNA? Discovery awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine The Nobel committee described the innovation as a "complete revolution" that helped in the study of 200 million proteins worldwide. Their work will help in developing treatments for antibiotic resistance, understanding enzyme behaviour, and creating vaccines. Also read: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton Demis Hassabis: Chess prodigy to Nobel laureate Demis Hassabis, 48, was a child chess prodigy. Born to Greek-Cypriot and Singaporean parents, he grew up in London and became a chess master when he was 13. Watch: AI poses extinction-level threat × Before Nobel, the Cambridge University graduate won numerous awards for his work in computer game design. Hassabis, who graduated in computer science, worked in various American universities after getting his PhD from University College London. In 2010, he cofounded the machine learning company DeepMind that was acquired by tech giant Google in 2014. DeepMind combines neuroscience and machine learning to solve various problems. It was in news in 2016, when its AlphaGo programme beat a human Go player Lee Sedol, a world champion, in a five-game match. (With inputs from agencies)

Chemistry Nobel winner Demis Hassabis has a Google connection. Know about DeepMind cofounder

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Google DeepMind launches new institute to study how AGI could change society

Chemistry Nobel winner Demis Hassabis has a Google connection. Know about DeepMind cofounder