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Learn More<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A segment on CBS weekly in-depth TV news program 60 Minutes<\/em> last night (also shared on YouTube here) offered an inside look at Google\u2019s DeepMind and the vision of its co-founder and Nobel Prize-winning CEO, legendary AI researcher Demis Hassabis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The interview traced DeepMind\u2019s rapid progress in artificial intelligence and its ambition to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI)\u2014a machine intelligence with human-like versatility and superhuman scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hassabis described today\u2019s AI trajectory as being on an \u201cexponential curve of improvement,\u201d fueled by growing interest, talent, and resources entering the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Two years after a prior 60 Minutes<\/em> interview heralded the chatbot era, Hassabis and DeepMind are now pursuing more capable systems designed not only to understand language, but also the physical world around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The interview came after Google\u2019s Cloud Next 2025 conference earlier this month, in which the search giant introduced a host of new AI models and features centered around its Gemini 2.5 multimodal AI model family. Google came out of that conference appearing to have taken a lead compared to other tech companies at providing powerful AI for enterprise use cases at the most affordable price points, surpassing OpenAI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the segment\u2019s focal points was Project Astra, DeepMind\u2019s next-generation chatbot that goes beyond text. Astra is designed to interpret the visual world in real time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In one demo, it identified paintings, inferred emotional states, and created a story around a Hopper painting with the line: \u201cOnly the flow of ideas moving onward.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked if it was growing bored, Astra replied thoughtfully, revealing a degree of sensitivity to tone and interpersonal nuance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Product manager Bibbo Shu underscored Astra\u2019s unique design: an AI that can \u201csee, hear, and chat about anything\u201d\u2014a marked step toward embodied AI systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The broadcast also featured Gemini<\/strong>, DeepMind\u2019s AI system being trained not only to interpret the world but also to act in it\u2014completing tasks like booking tickets and shopping online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hassabis said Gemini is a step toward AGI: an AI with a human-like ability to navigate and operate in complex environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The 60 Minutes<\/em> team tried out a prototype embedded in glasses, demonstrating real-time visual recognition and audio responses. Could it also hint at an upcoming return of the pioneering yet ultimately off-putting early augmented reality glasses known as Google Glass, which debuted in 2012 before being retired in 2015? <\/p>\n\n\n\n While specific Gemini model versions like Gemini 2.5 Pro or Flash were not mentioned in the segment, Google\u2019s broader AI ecosystem has recently introduced those models for enterprise use, which may reflect parallel development efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These integrations support Google\u2019s growing ambitions in applied AI, though they fall outside the scope of what was directly covered in the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked for a timeline, Hassabis projected AGI could arrive as soon as 2030, with systems that understand their environments \u201cin very nuanced and deep ways.\u201d He suggested that such systems could be seamlessly embedded into everyday life, from wearables to home assistants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The interview also addressed the possibility of self-awareness in AI. Hassabis said current systems are not conscious, but that future models could exhibit signs of self-understanding. Still, he emphasized the philosophical and biological divide: even if machines mimic conscious behavior, they are not made of the same \u201csquishy carbon matter\u201d as humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hassabis also predicted major developments in robotics, saying breakthroughs could come in the next few years. The segment featured robots completing tasks with vague instructions\u2014like identifying a green block formed by mixing yellow and blue\u2014suggesting rising reasoning abilities in physical systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The segment revisited DeepMind\u2019s landmark achievement with AlphaFold, the AI model that predicted the structure of over 200 million proteins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hassabis and colleague John Jumper were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this work. Hassabis emphasized that this advance could accelerate drug development, potentially shrinking timelines from a decade to just weeks. \u201cI think one day maybe we can cure all disease with the help of AI,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the optimism, Hassabis voiced clear concerns. He cited two major risks: the misuse of AI by bad actors and the growing autonomy of systems beyond human control. He emphasized the importance of building in guardrails and value systems\u2014teaching AI as one might teach a child. He also called for international cooperation, noting that AI\u2019s influence will touch every country and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of my big worries,\u201d he said, \u201cis that the race for AI dominance could become a race to the bottom for safety.\u201d He stressed the need for leading players and nation-states to coordinate on ethical development and oversight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The segment ended with a meditation on the future: a world where AI tools could transform almost every human endeavor\u2014and eventually reshape how we think about knowledge, consciousness, and even the meaning of life. As Hassabis put it, \u201cWe need new great philosophers to come about\u2026 to understand the implications of this system.\u201d<\/p>\n Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily<\/strong><\/p>\n If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\tThanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n An error occured.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>More details on Google DeepMind\u2019s \u2018Project Astra\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Gemini: Toward actionable AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
AGI as soon as 2030?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Accomplishments and safety concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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