Artificial general intelligence (AGI)
Artificial general intelligence is a hypothetical AI that could learn and perform almost any intellectual task a person can, across fields, without being specially built for each one. There is no agreed definition or test, and experts disagree sharply on whether and when it might arrive.
In one line, for a 12-year-old
AGI is the idea of an AI that could learn anything a person can — it doesn't exist yet, and people argue about whether it will.
An example
When a company says it is "building AGI", it is describing a goal, not a product you can use today.
Why it matters to people
AGI claims drive investment, policy and public fear. Treat confident predictions in either direction with care, and look at what systems can actually do today.