In a stirring address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis forecasted a rapid rise in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) over the next 5-8 years. He positioned AI as a golden opportunity for Indian youth to seize leadership in the tech world.
During the panel, Hassabis reflected on AI’s stunning evolution in the last decade. ‘We’re at an inflection point,’ he declared, as autonomous technologies redefine industries worldwide. He praised initiatives like this summit for fostering global collaboration among leaders and innovators.
Hassabis explained the magic behind reinforcement learning: allowing AI to absorb knowledge from raw data rather than rigid code. This approach, he said, is powering AI’s transformative potential and heralding a new epoch of human achievement.
From scientific breakthroughs to societal advancements, AI stands ready to elevate multiple domains. For India, with its vast reservoir of young minds, this means unprecedented career prospects and innovation hubs.
Hosted as the premier Global South event on AI, the five-day summit convenes top-tier participants: over 20 heads of state, 60 ministers, 100+ government officials, and 500 global AI pioneers including CEOs and researchers. The agenda emphasizes AI’s role in promoting equity, fortifying infrastructure, and driving sustainability.
Hassabis’s optimistic outlook signals that India’s demographic dividend could fuel the next wave of AI dominance, turning potential into global impact.