Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, Google's AI division and current CEO of Inflection AI, envisions that artificial intelligence (AI) will evolve into a business-savvy entrepreneur and inventor within the next five years. Speaking at a panel on AI during the 2024 World Economic Forum, Suleyman suggested that the contemporary equivalent of the Turing test, indicating advanced human-like capabilities or artificial general intelligence (AGI), would involve assessing whether AI could function as an entrepreneur, mini-project manager, and inventor capable of marketing, manufacturing, and selling a product for profit.

Suleyman predicts that by the end of the decade, and possibly within the next five years, AI will not only possess these capabilities but will make them widely accessible at a low cost, potentially even available as open-source technology. This, he believes, will bring about a transformative change in the economy. During the panel in Davos, Switzerland, he stated, "I think that completely changes the economy."

These remarks are part of Suleyman's ongoing predictions about the societal impact of AI, coinciding with the increasing prominence of tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT. He previously described AI as a "fundamentally labor-replacing" tool and anticipates widespread use of AI assistants in the next five years, enhancing productivity and intimately understanding personal information.

Despite his optimism about the capabilities of AI, Suleyman acknowledges the ambiguity surrounding the term "intelligence" in the context of AI and considers it a distraction. He encourages researchers to shift focus from abstract definitions and instead concentrate on real-world capabilities, emphasizing an AI agent's ability to interact with humans, plan, schedule, and organize.

Suleyman's insights underscore the dynamic nature of AI development and its potential to revolutionize various aspects of human life. While advancements in AI hold great promise, discussions around its real-world applications and impact remain crucial. Suleyman did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from Business Insider via Inflection AI.