Shane Legg, the co-founder of Google DeepMind and chief AGI scientist, has made a significant announcement on the social media platform X, indicating that artificial general intelligence is approaching and could fundamentally reshape the global economic landscape. In his recent hiring post, Legg emphasized the imminent arrival of AGI and its potential to bring about major transformations across various sectors, particularly the economy.
Hiring Initiative for Post-AGI Economic Research
Legg revealed that he is actively seeking to hire a senior economist who will report directly to him. This economist will lead a small, dedicated team focused on investigating what he terms "post-AGI economics." The role is designed to explore how economies might evolve and adapt following the advent of AGI, addressing critical questions about future economic structures and systems.
Key Responsibilities of the Senior Economist Role
The official job posting, shared by Legg, outlines several important responsibilities for the position. According to the description, the senior economist will:
- Lead and develop the research vision for the AGI Economics workstream, identifying key questions and priorities.
- Design and build economic simulations and models, including agent-based systems, to explore post-AGI scenarios.
- Conduct foundational research on the long-term economic impacts of AGI, questioning existing assumptions about scarcity, wealth, and distribution.
- Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of researchers across Google DeepMind.
- Engage with external experts and institutions to build research capacity and incorporate diverse perspectives.
- Communicate findings internally to senior stakeholders and externally through publications and other artifacts.
- Build and manage a research team dedicated to this pioneering work.
Elon Musk's Response and Grok AI Suggestion
The post attracted attention from several users, most notably Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. In his reply to Shane Legg, Musk suggested using his AI chatbot, Grok, for the research. "Try using Grok," Musk wrote, referring to the AI assistant developed by his company xAI, which is integrated into the X platform. This interaction highlights the growing interest and collaboration among tech leaders in addressing the economic implications of advanced AI.
Google DeepMind's Mission and Ethical Commitment
The job posting also reiterates Google DeepMind's overarching mission. It states that artificial intelligence could be one of humanity's most useful inventions. The team at Google DeepMind comprises scientists, engineers, machine learning experts, and other professionals working together to advance the state of the art in AI. Their technologies are aimed at widespread public benefit and scientific discovery, with a strong emphasis on safety and ethics as the highest priorities.
This hiring initiative underscores the proactive steps being taken by leading AI research organizations to prepare for the profound changes that AGI may bring. By focusing on economic research, Google DeepMind aims to better understand and potentially mitigate the disruptions while harnessing the opportunities presented by this transformative technology.
