Jaspreet Bindra on Generative AI and the Road to Singularity

At India’s biggest generative AI summit, MLDS 2024, founder and MD of Tech Whisperer Ltd., Jaspreet Bindra kick-started the keynote by delving into the history of AI, providing an in-depth explanation of the origin of the concept of singularity. 

“Are we kind of moving towards this Promethean future where we have the creatures that we have created, become superior to us and don't need us any longer?” asked Bindra, before going on to explain singularity and how AGI is far from our current technological reality.

The Varying AGI

He highlighted the varying AGI timelines that AI experts and scientists often discuss. “People have started saying that between 2026 to 2030 is when we will get some definition of AGI. However, that definition is changing,” he added. 

Bindra called out OpenAI’s approach to AGI as one that suits them. “Sam Altman has a different definition of AGI in every interview of his. He is bringing the definition down to make it more and more achievable.” 

Citing futurist and AI expert Ray Kurzweil, who wrote his first book titled ‘The Singularity Is Near,’ Bindra humorously said he is now writing a second book, called ‘The Singularity Is Nearer.’ 

Setting aside varying AGI timelines predicted by various AI experts, Bindra expressed his profound respect for Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI, who he believes to be conservative. He quoted Hinton, who when asked if AGI will happen in five years, he said it’s a “non-zero probability.”

Language is Key

Bindra brought up the discussion of generative AI that expedited last year, with people assuming the path to AGI is generative intelligence. He clearly stated that GAI≄AGI. “Generative Artificial Intelligence is not Artificial General Intelligence. Is it a path to that? Absolutely, absolutely not,” he ascertained. “Large language models are optimised for plausibility and believability, rather than the truth." 

He noted the importance of language that brings a familiarity between people and machines. “Language is the core of humanity, and language is the core of large language models,” which is why Bindra believes that humans and ChatGPT get along well, ‘because we are the same thing.’

Deep-rooted Singularity ॐ

“Technology, science and philosophy are one. Singularity is more a philosophy than a precise decision,” said Bindra at MLDS 2024. “The origin of the word singularity is very different.”

Giving a cautionary message of taking the listeners through a non-technical session, and even calling singularity as a philosophy, Bindra spoke about the relevance of singularity and super intelligence, rooting it back to old mythologies. 

Narrating a story of Zeus and Prometheus from Greek mythology, where Prometheus gave a ‘spark’ to human beings (their creation) that fuelled their intelligence, and ‘super-intelligence’, as per Zeus, the concept of scaling intelligence is nothing new. 

“Once we have an intelligence which is superior to us, that will create more AI rather than us creating, and we will become like the gods of Prometheus and Zeus,” he said.  

He also drew parallels to Hindu mythology, where he equated singularity to the word ‘Om’ which depicts the beginning of the universe. “It was the beginning of everything, like a big bang.”