'I'd pay thousands to get rid of email': Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis on his real AI goal

In a striking revelation at the SXSW London festival, Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, shared his vision for a transformative AI-driven email system. Rather than focusing solely on grand challenges like curing diseases or mitigating climate change, Hassabis is setting his sights on a more immediate annoyance: the overwhelming burden of email. He expressed a desire to develop a 'next-generation email' platform that uses artificial intelligence to handle routine correspondence, enabling users to escape the chaos of overflowing inboxes and repetitive replies. "I would gladly pay thousands of dollars a month to be free from email," he stated, emphasizing the potential of AI to manage communications in a user's unique writing style. This innovative approach aims to ensure important messages aren't overlooked while shielding users from the distractions posed by algorithms of major tech companies. "It fundamentally gives you more time and protects your focus from attention-grabbing algorithms," Hassabis explained, highlighting the personal benefits of such technology. Known for his groundbreaking work on AlphaFold 2, which made significant strides in understanding protein folding, Hassabis recognizes the irony in prioritizing email management amidst his contributions to science and medicine. As DeepMind develops consumer AI products like Gemini and Veo 3, he reflects on the fast pace of AI commercialization, which has brought major tech players into the field sooner than he anticipated. Despite the commercialization complexities, Hassabis remains devoted to the long-term objective of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI)—AI systems that can replicate or surpass human cognitive abilities across diverse tasks. He predicts that AGI could emerge within the next five to ten years, heralding a new Industrial Revolution. This advancement could pave the way for remarkable achievements, such as curing diseases and realizing unlimited renewable energy, which he refers to as 'radical abundance.' However, he stresses the need for academics and policymakers to proactively address the societal impacts of such advancements, particularly regarding equitable wealth distribution. "Even in scenarios of great abundance, we must ensure that prosperity is shared fairly," he urged. Hassabis also champions international collaboration, especially between the US and China, to guarantee the responsible development of AGI for the benefit of all humanity. For now, however, the dawn of the AI era may start with a simpler goal: a self-managing inbox.