The Wicked Nature of AGI

Artificial general intelligence (AGI) represents an unprecedented ambition within the field of technology, aiming to create systems capable of matching or surpassing human abilities across multiple domains. Unlike Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI), AGI is anticipated to operate without task-speci...

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Main Author: Yeliz Figen Doker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Queensland University of Technology 2025-07-01
Series:Law, Technology and Humans
Subjects:
Online Access:https://lthj.qut.edu.au/article/view/3757
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author Yeliz Figen Doker
author_facet Yeliz Figen Doker
author_sort Yeliz Figen Doker
collection DOAJ
description Artificial general intelligence (AGI) represents an unprecedented ambition within the field of technology, aiming to create systems capable of matching or surpassing human abilities across multiple domains. Unlike Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI), AGI is anticipated to operate without task-specific limitations and predefined purposes, raising complex, pressing issues surrounding autonomy, control and potential societal impact. This article applies Rittel and Webber’s wicked problem theory to critically examine AGI governance, categorising AGI within the ten characteristics of wicked problems. The absence of a definitive formulation, its unstoppable potential evolution, the subjective and context-dependent nature of its solutions, the irreversibility of interventions and the multiplicity of stakeholder perspectives all underscore the inadequacy of existing governance paradigms. In response, this article advocates for dynamic, iterative and flexible governance frameworks that acknowledge AGI’s ontic uniqueness and potential for autonomous evolution. Rather than treating AGI as a distant or hypothetical concern, this analysis argues for a multidimensional, forward-looking governance model that recognises AGI as an urgent and inherently wicked problem.
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spelling doaj-art-8aba4b52ccb84ded92f4c5e6d96ebb992025-08-20T03:58:32ZengQueensland University of TechnologyLaw, Technology and Humans2652-40742025-07-01728911010.5204/lthj.37574080The Wicked Nature of AGIYeliz Figen Doker0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2661-0013European University InstituteArtificial general intelligence (AGI) represents an unprecedented ambition within the field of technology, aiming to create systems capable of matching or surpassing human abilities across multiple domains. Unlike Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI), AGI is anticipated to operate without task-specific limitations and predefined purposes, raising complex, pressing issues surrounding autonomy, control and potential societal impact. This article applies Rittel and Webber’s wicked problem theory to critically examine AGI governance, categorising AGI within the ten characteristics of wicked problems. The absence of a definitive formulation, its unstoppable potential evolution, the subjective and context-dependent nature of its solutions, the irreversibility of interventions and the multiplicity of stakeholder perspectives all underscore the inadequacy of existing governance paradigms. In response, this article advocates for dynamic, iterative and flexible governance frameworks that acknowledge AGI’s ontic uniqueness and potential for autonomous evolution. Rather than treating AGI as a distant or hypothetical concern, this analysis argues for a multidimensional, forward-looking governance model that recognises AGI as an urgent and inherently wicked problem.https://lthj.qut.edu.au/article/view/3757artificial general intelligenceartificial narrow intelligencetechnology governancewicked problem theory
spellingShingle Yeliz Figen Doker
The Wicked Nature of AGI
Law, Technology and Humans
artificial general intelligence
artificial narrow intelligence
technology governance
wicked problem theory
title The Wicked Nature of AGI
title_full The Wicked Nature of AGI
title_fullStr The Wicked Nature of AGI
title_full_unstemmed The Wicked Nature of AGI
title_short The Wicked Nature of AGI
title_sort wicked nature of agi
topic artificial general intelligence
artificial narrow intelligence
technology governance
wicked problem theory
url https://lthj.qut.edu.au/article/view/3757
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