Is Artificial General Intelligence Already Here? One AI Founder Thinks So
Decrypt
by Jason NelsonFebruary 23, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Eliza Labs’ CEO Shaw Walters claims that artificial general intelligence (AGI) has already arrived, challenging the notion that AGI remains a distant possibility. During ETHDenver, Walters argued that current AI systems, particularly those capable of autonomous actions, meet his definition of AGI—intelligent systems具备广泛的任务处理能力，尽管其学习方式与人类截然不同。He emphasized that while fully decentralized AI doesn’t yet exist, local execution brings us closer to this reality. Walters’ comments come amid growing concerns about the security risks posed by AI agents, including issues like prompt injection and wallet compromises, as these systems become more integrated into crypto and consumer platforms.
Walters founded Eliza Labs in 2024 (previously known as ai16z) to develop ElizaOS, one of the first frameworks for creating autonomous AI agents for blockchains. He traces his work on AI back to the GPT-3 era, when generating structured outputs was unreliable and challenging. However, with the advent of GPT-4 in 2023, he noticed significant improvements in AI’s ability to produce reliable responses, enabling action calling and advancing the development of functional AI agents. This progress has transformed experimental chatbots into persistent systems deeply embedded in crypto and consumer platforms, such as OpenClaw, Moltbook, and Coinbase’s Agentic Wallets.
Walters rejects the idea that AGI will emerge as a single dominant system, arguing that diversity among AI systems is inevitable. He contrasts this with other experts like Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, who caution that AGI could arrive within the next decade but may take the form of a singular, powerful entity. Instead, Walters believes that life inherently loves variation, making a monolithic “AI God” unlikely.
As AI agents gain more autonomy and control over critical functions like wallet management, Walters warns of significant security risks.
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Originally published on Decrypt on 2/23/2026