AI trailblazer Yann LeCun remains unconvinced that we’re on the brink of achieving true intelligence in artificial intelligence (AI).

LeCun, a distinguished professor at New York University and a senior researcher at Meta, is renowned in the AI field and is a recipient of the esteemed A.M. Turning Award. He has previously expressed his doubts about the imminent rise of super-intelligent AI, stating that we are yet to design a system with intelligence surpassing that of a domestic cat.

In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, LeCun further explained his views when asked if AI could become intelligent enough to pose a threat to mankind. He dismissed the notion outright, calling it ‘complete nonsense’.

LeCun believes that current large language models (LLMs) are lacking in essential capabilities equal to those of a cat, such as persistent memory, reasoning, planning, and understanding the physical world. He argues that LLMs are merely proof that “you can manipulate language without being intelligent” and claims they will never contribute to the development of authentic artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Despite his skepticism, LeCun is not entirely dismissive of AGI. He believes that innovative approaches will be necessary for its eventual realization. He cited the work conducted by his Fundamental AI Research team at Meta, which focuses on processing real-world video footage, as an example of such innovative approaches.

This information could be valuable for potential investors and individuals with an interest in the evolution of AI, even though that is not the primary focus of this article.