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Ten reads, in order, that take you from 'I keep hearing about AGI' to a working understanding of where the field actually is in 2026.
Each entry takes between fifteen minutes and a long evening. Done in order, the list mixes definitions, empirical evidence, calibrated scenarios, and an optimistic counterweight, then closes with a practical step you can apply to your own situation.
- 01
What is AGI? Explained
PostZootAGI · 2026A precise, plain-language definition of artificial general intelligence.
Why read this. Start where the terminology is clear.
- 02
Sparks of Artificial General Intelligence
PaperBubeck et al. · 2023Microsoft Research's early empirical study of GPT-4 as a fragment of general intelligence.
Why read this. The clearest snapshot of why the AGI conversation accelerated.
- 03
The Bitter Lesson
PostRich Sutton · 2019Two pages on why general methods that leverage compute win over clever hand-engineering.
Why read this. The single most quoted post in modern AI; explains the trajectory in a coffee break.
- 04
AGI in sight: our look at the game board
PostConnor Leahy et al. · 2023A concise overview of why many researchers now expect AGI within a decade.
Why read this. Frames the urgency without doom-mongering.
- 05
AI 2027 scenario
PostDaniel Kokotajlo et al. · 2024A detailed, calibrated narrative scenario of how AGI capabilities could unfold over the next several years.
Why read this. Concrete and forces you to form a view.
- 06
International AI Safety Report 2025
ReportBengio et al. · 2025A 300-page consensus assessment from 30 countries.
Why read this. The closest the field has to an IPCC report.
- 07
Stanford AI Index 2025
ReportStanford HAI · 2025The annual reference dataset on AI progress, deployment, economics, and policy.
Why read this. Replace anecdotes with numbers.
- 08
Machines of Loving Grace
PostDario Amodei · 2024Anthropic's CEO on a positive vision of what powerful AI could do.
Why read this. An honest optimistic counterweight to risk-first reading.
- 09
What if we could automate alignment research?
PostJan Leike · 2024A leading alignment researcher's working theory of how the problem might be solved.
Why read this. Gives a concrete plan rather than only naming the problem.
- 10
ZootAGI Tools
SiteZootAGI · 2026Self-assessment, learning-path generator, and timeline explorer.
Why read this. Apply what you read to your own situation.