OpenAI recently unveiled a new five-tier system to gauge its progress toward developing artificial general intelligence (AGI), providing a framework for understanding AI advancement that aims to entice investors but also risks fueling unrealistic expectations.
OpenAI’s “Stages of Artificial Intelligence”: The company’s new classification system ranges from current AI capabilities to hypothetical future systems that could manage entire organizations:
- Level 1 encompasses AI with conversational abilities, like the company’s current ChatGPT technology.
- Level 2, dubbed “Reasoners,” would possess human-level problem-solving skills. OpenAI executives claim they are on the verge of reaching this milestone.
- Higher levels describe increasingly potent hypothetical AI capabilities, with Level 5 envisioning AI managing entire organizations.
Progress and limitations: While OpenAI believes it is nearing a breakthrough with “reasoning” AI, the classification system is still a work in progress and describes largely hypothetical technology:
- The company plans to gather feedback and potentially refine the levels over time.
- There is currently no consensus in the AI research community on how to measure progress toward AGI or even if it is a well-defined, achievable goal.
- The tech industry has a history of overpromising AI capabilities, and linear progression models like OpenAI’s risk fueling unrealistic expectations.
Comparing AI frameworks: OpenAI is not alone in attempting to quantify levels of AI capabilities, with other researchers and companies proposing their own frameworks:
- Google DeepMind researchers proposed a five-level framework for assessing AI advancement in November 2023.
- Anthropic’s “AI Safety Levels” focus more on safety and catastrophic risks, while OpenAI’s levels track general capabilities.
- However, any AI classification system raises questions about the feasibility of meaningfully quantifying AI progress and what constitutes advancement.
Broader implications: OpenAI’s new classification system should be viewed primarily as a communications tool to entice investors rather than a scientific measurement of progress:
- The pursuit of AGI drives much of the hype surrounding OpenAI, despite the potentially disruptive impact such technology could have on society.
- CEO Sam Altman has stated his belief that AGI could be achieved within this decade, and the ranking system aligns with his public messaging about preparing for the disruption AGI may bring.
- However, without a clear consensus on defining and measuring AGI, the five-tier system remains largely aspirational and risks contributing to inflated expectations in the AI industry.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...