Definition
By capability, AI is divided into three levels. Narrow AI (ANI) performs specific tasks. General AI (AGI) would match people across nearly all thinking tasks. Super AI (ASI) would far exceed people in almost everything. Only narrow AI exists today.
In simple words
Narrow AI is a specialist doctor who knows only eyes. AGI would be a person who can learn any job. ASI would be something much smarter than any person at every job. ChatGPT can talk about nearly anything, but it's still counted as narrow by most experts, though some debate this.
Why it matters
News stories often blur these levels, so real products get mistaken for science fiction, and the other way round. Knowing the levels helps you judge claims, and it frames the safety debate.
How it works
| Level | Can do | Exists? | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrow (ANI) | Specific tasks, sometimes better than people | Yes, everywhere | Face unlock, chess engines, spam filters, LLMs |
| General (AGI) | Learn and do nearly any thinking task a person can | No. Whether we're close is debated. | None yet |
| Super (ASI) | Far beyond people at almost everything | No, only a hypothesis | None |
Try it yourself
Three levels of AI, and where we are
Move along the line, and stop where the world is today.
Classify well-known AI systems
Put each system in narrow, general or super AI.
A chess engine that beats world champions
A chatbot that writes, translates and explains
A voice assistant
A robot that can learn any job a person can, as well as a person
A machine far smarter than all humans in every area
A self-driving car
Common mistakes
- Assuming a system that's great at one thing is great at everything.
- Calling every new chatbot AGI. The word has no agreed test yet, so ask how it's being used.
Check yourself
Summary
- Three levels: narrow, general, super.
- Only narrow AI exists today.
- AGI timelines are uncertain and debated.
Finished reading?
Sources: Russell & Norvig, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach