AI Revolution May Eclipse Industrial Age, Says DeepMind Chief

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google’s AI powerhouse DeepMind, believes that the artificial intelligence revolution could have a far greater impact on the world than even the industrial revolution. In a recent interview with The Guardian, he reflected on how AI is reshaping science, business, and society at large — and how this transformative force is just getting started.

Hassabis is no ordinary tech executive. In 2024, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his role in developing AlphaFold, a revolutionary AI system that has accurately predicted the structures of over 200 million proteins. This achievement is considered one of the greatest leaps in molecular biology and drug discovery in decades.

The CEO, who was once a child prodigy in chess and computer programming, had already made waves early in his career. At just 17, he created the popular video game Theme Park, which subtly incorporated primitive AI elements long before the term became mainstream. That early fascination eventually led him to co-found DeepMind in 2010 alongside Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman.

Within just a few years, DeepMind stunned Silicon Valley by demonstrating an AI that could master Atari games without prior knowledge — using only raw pixel input. This caught the attention of major tech titans, including Google, which acquired DeepMind in 2014 for approximately $461 million. Meanwhile, other figures like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel pivoted to support rival ventures like OpenAI.

Hassabis’s vision extends far beyond AI as a mere tool. He believes we are on the brink of achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — AI that matches human cognitive abilities — within the next 5 to 10 years. Such an advancement could fundamentally alter science, healthcare, education, and nearly every domain of life.

“The AI era will likely redefine the boundaries of what it means to be human,” Hassabis stated. “Its impact could be ten times greater than that of the industrial revolution — which itself was massive — though the transition won’t be easy.”

Despite the inevitable disruptions, Hassabis remains optimistic. He emphasizes the need for ethical AI development and international cooperation to ensure that the benefits of AI are distributed fairly. He also underlines that breakthroughs like AlphaFold are only a glimpse of AI’s potential when applied to real-world problems.

Interestingly, Mustafa Suleyman — one of DeepMind’s original co-founders — is now leading AI efforts at Microsoft. This shows how the pioneers of modern AI continue to shape the future from different platforms.

As AI accelerates, Hassabis’s predictions serve both as a warning and a promise. If handled wisely, the AI revolution could unlock possibilities beyond imagination — reshaping civilization in ways humanity has never seen before.