Artificial general intelligence must be assessed in its scientific and societal context

Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X Access through your institution Buy or subscribe A recent Comment argues that artificial intelligence already has human-level intelligence ( E. K. Chen et al. Nature 650 , 36–40; 2026 ). Although mostly compelling, the arguments disregard crucial scientific and societal contexts. Access options Access through your institution Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $32.99 / 30 days cancel any time Learn more Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Learn more Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from $1.95 to $39.95 Learn more Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Nature 651 , 550 (2026) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00775-7 Competing Interests The author declares no competing interests. Related Articles Does AI already have human-level intelligence? The evidence is clear What is the future of intelligence? The answer could lie in the story of its evolution How close is AI to human-level intelligence? Subjects Machine learning Technology Mathematics and computing Society Latest on: Machine learning Technology Mathematics and computing Stop the use of AI in war until laws can be agreed Editorial 10 MAR 26 The first ‘AI societies’ are taking shape: how human-like are they? News 05 MAR 26 How AI is shaping the war in Iran — and what’s next for future conflicts News 05 MAR 26 How pollutants and poo paint a picture of past civilizations Technology Feature 09 MAR 26 High-rise transistors can be used to build space-saving circuits News & Views 05 MAR 26 How a mathematician is cracking open Mexico’s powerful drug cartels Spotlight 04 MAR 26 High-rise transistors can be used to build space-saving circuits News & Views 05 MAR 26 Releasing open-weight AI in steps would alleviate risks Correspondence 03 MAR 26 South Korea’s AI framework act focuses on rights and safety Correspondence 03 MAR 26 Jobs Chair and Centre Lead, Computational Biomedical Imaging Recruiting an Academic Lead in Computational Biomedical Imaging to build a vibrant research community engaged in imaging and its clinical translation. Queen Mary University London, Whitechapel Campus Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) Research group leader, Systems Immunology (m/f/d) The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut is one of the world’s leading research institutes in the field of animal diseases, animal welfare, animal husbandry... Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (DE) Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Tiergesundheit Postdoctoral Fellow UMass Chan Medical School (FBGao Lab) Post Doc Position to study pathogenic mechanisms of Frontotemporal Dementia using patient iPSC-derived neurons Worcester, Massachusetts (US) Umass Chan Medical School - Fen-Biao Gao Lab Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Warmly Welcomes Talents Abroad Qiushi Chair Professor; Qiushi Distinguished Scholar; ZJU 100 Young Researcher; Distinguished researcher No. 3, Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang (CN) Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated with Zhejiang University School of Medicine Talent Recruitment Announcement of the College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University Join Huazhong Agricultural University No.1 Shizishan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU)