For years, Artificial General Intelligence, AGI, lived in the realm of science fiction. A concept prized by researchers, feared by ethicists and exaggerated by Hollywood. A machine capable of not only performing specific tasks, but demonstrating broad, human-like intelligence: reasoning, learning, adapting, even applying common sense across different problems. It was always presented as tomorrow’s problem. Something for the next generation.

by Kasun Illankoon, Editor in Chief at Tech Revolt.

Yet throughout 2024 and 2025, a shift has occurred. AI systems have gained new capabilities at a rate even their own creators did not expect. Software that once followed instructions now interprets intent. Tools that once answered questions now take initiative. We have entered an era where many in the field quietly admit: AGI may not be a future milestone — it may already be emerging.

The definition of AGI has broadened. Instead of a perfect replica of human intelligence, today’s AGI is increasingly defined as AI capable of matching or surpassing human performance across a wide range of economically valuable tasks. Under that lens, the world may already be interacting with the first forms of AGI daily.

From Responsive Machines to Autonomous Thinkers

Traditional AI has always been narrow. It recognised patterns. It predicted. It interpreted. But it lacked the fundamental quality of understanding. Now, new AI systems demonstrate a different kind of cognition.

They learn faster.

They exhibit reasoning that resembles logic rather than imitation.

They can operate in diverse domains without being entirely retrained.

One of the clearest indicators of this shift is the rise of “agentic AI” — systems empowered not only to answer prompts, but to take multiple steps toward a goal, evaluate results and adapt strategies autonomously. A decade ago, the idea of AI performing multi-stage planning was academic speculation. Today, it is quietly deployed inside software environments and workplaces around the world.

Why Some Tech Leaders Say AGI Has Already Arrived

A growing number of CEOs and AI pioneers have stated publicly that the world has effectively entered an AGI era. According to one leading technology research group, the difference between today’s most advanced models and classic AGI is now “a matter of scope and speed,” not fundamentals. The intelligence emerging within these systems is not merely learned — it is applied.

Some examples:

• AI models providing expert-level analysis in fields like law, finance, and software engineering

• Autonomous agents completing business tasks end-to-end with minimal oversight

• Machines displaying emergent capabilities not explicitly trained into them

To many within the industry, AGI is no longer a breakthrough waiting to happen. It is a moving target that current systems are already chasing — and occasionally catching.

The Skeptics: Why Others Urge Caution

Of course, not everyone agrees that AGI has arrived.

Critics argue that today’s AI lacks common sense — the subtle contextual awareness humans gain early in life. A child understands gravity, emotion, humour, consequences. A machine may still struggle with such nuance. Others point out that intelligence is not simply performance — it’s consciousness, intentionality, and independence.

Researchers at several major universities maintain that while AI can simulate intelligence with extraordinary precision, it remains fundamentally dependent on vast datasets and human curation. To them, this is not general intelligence — it’s fast, flexible mimicry.

There is also the uncomfortable truth that we don’t yet have a universal definition of intelligence. Without that, proving AGI exists becomes an argument of semantics rather than science.

What AGI Means for Business — Now and Next

If AGI — or something very close to it — is already in play, the implications for business are profound. Leaders will no longer view AI as a tool, but as a collaborator and strategic engine.

1️⃣ Automation Goes Beyond Repetition

Until recently, automation focused on physical or repetitive tasks: manufacturing lines, form-based workflows, customer service scripts.

AGI-class systems push automation up the value chain:

• High-level decision support

• Market forecasting

• Operational troubleshooting

• Creative and design assistance

According to a recent industry analysis, businesses adopting AGI-level tools report major gains in productivity and reduced dependency on specialised human labour.

This creates efficiency — but also existential disruption for knowledge-based professions.

2️⃣ Strategy and Innovation Accelerate

AGI-powered systems don’t just respond — they ideate. They challenge assumptions. They propose what humans overlook.

In reference to a report on intelligent enterprise systems this year, businesses integrating advanced AI into planning processes saw faster innovation cycles and higher accuracy in long-term predictions. That is something no spreadsheet or BI dashboard could ever achieve.

Companies that once took months to analyse a new market can now form a viable blueprint in days.

3️⃣ The Skills Gap Becomes a Skills Shift

The workforce will not disappear — but its priorities will.

Human roles will move from execution to supervision and direction:

• Problem framing

• Ethical oversight

• Relationship building

• Creative leadership

• Accountability

Employees must learn to work with AI as a partner rather than a tool. And training is urgent: without it, businesses risk widening a capability divide that affects both competitiveness and morale.

Risk: Intelligence Without Intuition

Beneath the excitement lies the biggest concern: AGI may think — but it may not understand consequences. AI can optimise ruthlessly. It can choose efficiency over empathy. It can misinterpret goals.

A recent report on AI safety practices highlighted that while capabilities race ahead, risk governance is lagging behind. Companies integrating AGI-level systems must build guardrails — not after deployment, but as a foundational requirement.

The questions now facing executives are no longer technical:

• Who is accountable for AI-driven decisions?

• How do we ensure systems align with human values?

• What happens when AI intelligence surpasses human oversight?

These are boardroom issues — not IT issues.

Conclusion: Tomorrow Arrived Early

Whether or not we label current systems as true AGI matters less than what they are already capable of. A form of generalised intelligence has undeniably emerged — powerful, adaptable and increasingly autonomous.

For businesses, the choice is straightforward:

Prepare now — or be overtaken by those who do.

AGI is no longer a distant horizon. It is already reshaping how companies operate, compete and innovate. And the organisations that thrive in this new era will be those that recognise the historic shift underway — embracing the transformation without surrendering responsibility.

The age of AGI has begun. Quietly. Rapidly. And sooner than anyone expected.