Think you know ChatGPT? Here are 5 AI levels you’ve never seen

Artificial intelligence is evolving faster than most people realise. From simple chatbots to the possibility of superintelligent machines, experts describe five stages of AI development that most people haven't yet discovered.

We are entering an era where AI can act on its own, and the future promises transformations that could reshape society. AI consumers can now dig into the stages mentioned below to level up their expertise.

Stage 1: Large language models

The AI tools with which most of the people are using are ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Bard. These AI tools are large language models (LLMs) that help users immediately by responding back to questions and queries, composing essays, and even generating code, but they are reactive systems and not autonomous thinkers.

Stage 2: Agentic AI

The second stage of AI development goes beyond answering questions. At this level, AI can be a source that not only performs tasks but also accomplishes them independently, whether it is researching, writing, or publishing an article. This is what the future of technology holds today, and the infrastructure is being developed to accommodate multiple AI agents working together without human intervention.

Stage 3: Multi-agent systems

To understand this stage, picture 20 different AIs, each with a different skill set, delegating work to each other to accomplish complex objectives. This stage of AI development will enable AI systems to execute complete projects from initial phase to final phase according to expert predictions.

Stage 4: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

AGI functions as the ultimate objective that drives the artificial intelligence competition; this is the point where everybody wants to reach. It demonstrates a machine incorporated with human-like cognitive abilities, which includes thinking, learning and producing original work. Experts debate whether AGI exists yet, but achieving it would mean AI can perform any intellectual task without human instruction.

Stage 5: Superintelligence

The final stage of artificial intelligence research requires the development of superintelligence which enables machines to surpass human cognitive abilities. The machines possess the capacity to resolve problems that have persisted for centuries in the fields of medicine, energy and physics.