Shane Legg

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Shane Legg
Legg in 2023
Shane Legg
BornTemplate:Birth year and age
BirthplaceNew Zealand
NationalityNew Zealander
OccupationMachine learning researcher, entrepreneur
TitleChief AGI Scientist
EmployerGoogle DeepMind
Known forCo-founding DeepMind Technologies
EducationPhD (IDSIA/University of Lugano)
AwardsMBE (2019), TIME100 AI (2023)

Shane Legg (born 1973 or 1974) is a New Zealand machine learning researcher and entrepreneur who co-founded DeepMind Technologies in 2010 alongside Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman. Following Google's acquisition of DeepMind in January 2014, Legg continued at the company and serves as its chief AGI scientist within the entity now known as Google DeepMind.[1][2] Legg is recognised for his academic contributions to the field of artificial general intelligence (AGI), including his 2008 doctoral thesis "Machine Super Intelligence," completed under the supervision of Marcus Hutter.[3] He has also been credited as one of the individuals who helped popularise the term "AGI" within the research community.[4] In 2023, TIME named Legg to its inaugural TIME100 AI list of influential people in artificial intelligence.[5] As of late 2025, Legg has maintained a long-standing prediction that there is a 50 percent probability of achieving what he terms "minimal AGI" by 2028, a forecast he first articulated years earlier and has continued to uphold publicly.[6]

Early Life

Shane Legg was born in New Zealand in 1973 or 1974.[7] Details of his upbringing and family background are not extensively documented in public sources, though his New Zealand origins have been noted in media coverage of DeepMind, particularly following the company's high-profile acquisition by Google in 2014. The New Zealand Herald profiled Legg as the "Kiwi at heart of Google's biggest ever deal," highlighting his New Zealand roots in the context of the landmark technology acquisition.[7]

Legg developed an early interest in computing and the nature of intelligence, interests that would eventually lead him to focus his academic career on the theoretical foundations of machine intelligence. His intellectual trajectory took him from New Zealand to research institutions in Europe, where he would pursue graduate-level study in the computational sciences and eventually situate himself within the emerging field of artificial general intelligence research.[1]

Education

Legg's academic career began at New Zealand institutions before leading him to prominent international research centres. He studied at the University of Waikato, which would later recognise him with a Distinguished Alumni Award.[8] He also undertook research at the University of Auckland, where he was associated with the Centre for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (CDMTCS).[9][10]

Legg subsequently moved to Europe to pursue doctoral research at the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research (IDSIA), an artificial intelligence laboratory jointly operated by the Università della Svizzera italiana and the SUPSI in Lugano, Switzerland.[11] His doctoral advisor was Marcus Hutter, a researcher known for his work on universal artificial intelligence and the AIXI theoretical framework. In 2008, Legg completed his PhD thesis, titled "Machine Super Intelligence," which addressed the theoretical measurement and definition of machine intelligence, drawing on algorithmic information theory and concepts from universal intelligence.[3] The thesis represented one of the early formal academic treatments of what conditions and criteria might define a machine system that surpasses human-level cognitive capabilities, and it has been cited extensively in subsequent AGI literature.

Career

Early Research and the AGI Concept

Prior to co-founding DeepMind, Legg's career was primarily situated within academic research settings focused on machine learning and theoretical artificial intelligence. His work at IDSIA under Marcus Hutter placed him at the centre of research into universal measures of intelligence for artificial agents. During this period, Legg contributed to the development and popularisation of the concept of artificial general intelligence as a distinct research programme. According to an account by AI researcher Ben Goertzel, Legg was among the group of researchers who helped coin and promote the term "AGI" to describe the pursuit of general-purpose machine intelligence, as opposed to narrow or specialised AI systems.[4]

Legg's doctoral thesis work on machine super intelligence provided a mathematical framework for thinking about intelligence as a measurable property of agents, drawing on Kolmogorov complexity and related concepts from theoretical computer science. This theoretical grounding would later inform the research philosophy at DeepMind, which from its inception emphasised general-purpose learning algorithms rather than domain-specific approaches.[3]

During this time, Legg also delivered academic presentations at various institutions, including the University of Oxford's Oxford Martin School, where he presented on what the architecture of the biological brain could teach researchers about artificial intelligence.[12] His research interests during this period bridged computational neuroscience and machine learning, a combination that would prove central to DeepMind's approach.

Co-founding DeepMind

In 2010, Legg co-founded DeepMind Technologies, a London-based artificial intelligence company, together with Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman.[2][1] Hassabis, a former child chess prodigy and neuroscience researcher, and Suleyman, an entrepreneur with a background in social enterprise, brought complementary skills and perspectives to the venture. Legg's contribution was rooted in his deep theoretical expertise in machine intelligence and his long-standing focus on the path toward artificial general intelligence.

DeepMind's founding mission centred on "solving intelligence" and then using that understanding to address other problems. The company's research programme focused on developing general-purpose learning algorithms, particularly combining techniques from deep learning and reinforcement learning. This approach was informed in part by the neuroscience-inspired perspectives that both Legg and Hassabis brought to the enterprise.[2]

The company attracted significant attention within both the AI research community and the technology industry. DeepMind's early work on training neural networks to play Atari video games at superhuman levels demonstrated the potential of deep reinforcement learning and established the company as a leader in the field.

Google Acquisition and Google DeepMind

On 27 January 2014, Google announced its acquisition of DeepMind Technologies. The deal was reported by Bloomberg News and was characterised as one of Google's most significant acquisitions in the artificial intelligence domain.[13] The acquisition brought DeepMind's team and research capabilities under Google's umbrella, while the company continued to operate with a significant degree of research autonomy from its London headquarters.

Media coverage in New Zealand highlighted Legg's role in the deal. The New Zealand Herald described Legg as the "Kiwi at heart of Google's biggest ever deal," noting the significance of a New Zealand researcher being at the centre of such a major technology transaction.[7] Business Insider later profiled Legg as "the third cofounder" of what it described as "Google's $500 million AI startup," noting his contributions to DeepMind's research direction and his distinctive focus on long-term AGI research.[1]

Following the acquisition, DeepMind achieved a series of major research milestones under Google's ownership, including the development of AlphaGo, which defeated world champion Go player Lee Sedol in 2016, and AlphaFold, which made major advances in the protein folding problem. Legg continued to work at the company throughout this period, maintaining a focus on the longer-term challenges of artificial general intelligence.

In April 2023, Google announced the consolidation of its AI research efforts, merging the Google Brain team with DeepMind to form a new entity called Google DeepMind.[14] Within this restructured organisation, Legg took on the title of Chief AGI Scientist, reflecting both his foundational role at the company and his continued focus on the pathway to general-purpose artificial intelligence.[6][15]

AGI Predictions and AI Safety

Legg has been notable for his long-standing and specific predictions regarding the timeline for achieving artificial general intelligence. As of December 2025, he continued to maintain a prediction that there is a 50 percent probability of achieving what he describes as "minimal AGI" by 2028. According to The Decoder, Legg laid out his framework for AGI timelines on the DeepMind podcast, describing this prediction as one he has held consistently over many years.[6] Reporting from ITP.net noted that "while many tech leaders are just now joining the hype, DeepMind co-founder Shane Legg has maintained the same 50% probability for AGI" over an extended period, suggesting a degree of consistency in his outlook that distinguishes him from commentators who have adjusted their predictions in response to recent developments in large language models.[16]

Legg has also been publicly associated with concerns about AI safety and the existential risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence. In 2023, he was among the signatories of a statement on AI risk published by the Center for AI Safety, which stated that mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.[17] This statement attracted significant media attention and was signed by numerous prominent AI researchers and technology leaders.[18] Legg's early and sustained engagement with AI safety concerns, predating the recent surge of public interest in the topic, has been noted by observers of the field. His academic work on defining and measuring machine intelligence was, in part, motivated by the question of how to understand and anticipate the capabilities of future AI systems.

In an interview featured in MIT Technology Review in 2020, the concept of artificial general intelligence and the various approaches being pursued by organisations including DeepMind, Google, and OpenAI were discussed in depth, with Legg's contributions to the theoretical foundations of the field noted.[19]

Views on AI and the Future of Work

In late 2025, Legg attracted significant media attention for his public comments regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, particularly remote work. In appearances on the DeepMind podcast and subsequent media coverage, Legg articulated what several outlets described as the "laptop rule" — a framework for identifying which jobs are most susceptible to automation by AI. According to Legg, jobs that consist primarily of cognitive tasks performed on a laptop are among the most vulnerable to replacement by AI systems, as the inputs and outputs of such work are inherently digital and therefore more easily replicable by machine intelligence.[20]

Legg's comments were reported by Forbes, which highlighted seven categories of remote jobs that Legg suggested could be at risk from AI automation.[21] Mashable India reported that Legg warned artificial intelligence was "entering a phase" with significant implications for work patterns.[15] The Indian Express reported that Legg suggested AI could "wipe out large parts of remote work and cognitive skills."[22] The American Bazaar described Legg's forecast as "blunt" in its assessment of how AI would affect the future of work, particularly for remote workers.[23]

As of early 2026, Legg also shared hiring posts for his AGI team at Google DeepMind, which attracted public attention, including a response from Elon Musk on the social media platform X.[24]

Personal Life

Legg maintains a relatively low public profile regarding his personal life compared to some of his contemporaries in the technology industry. He was born and raised in New Zealand before relocating to Europe for his doctoral studies and subsequently settling in London, where DeepMind is headquartered.[7][1] His connection to New Zealand has been noted in media coverage throughout his career, and he has returned to New Zealand for public lectures and events, including at the University of Waikato.[8]

On the social media platform formerly known as LessWrong, Legg participated in a question-and-answer session regarding risks from artificial intelligence, providing insight into his personal views on the long-term trajectory of AI development and the importance of safety research.[25]

Recognition

Legg has received several notable honours and awards in recognition of his contributions to artificial intelligence research and technology entrepreneurship.

In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, Legg was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to science.[26] The honour reflected both his role in co-founding DeepMind and his broader contributions to the field of AI research.

The University of Waikato recognised Legg with a Distinguished Alumni Award, and he delivered a public lecture at the university in connection with the honour.[8]

In 2023, TIME magazine included Legg in its inaugural TIME100 AI list, a selection of the 100 most influential people in the field of artificial intelligence.[5] The recognition placed him alongside other prominent figures in the AI field and reflected his role as both a co-founder of one of the world's leading AI research organisations and a long-standing contributor to the theoretical foundations of AGI research.

Legacy

Shane Legg's contributions to artificial intelligence are situated at the intersection of theoretical research and practical entrepreneurship. His doctoral work on measuring machine intelligence provided a formal mathematical framework that helped shape academic discourse around artificial general intelligence during a period when the concept was still at the margins of mainstream computer science. His role in popularising the term "AGI" has been noted by colleagues in the field, and the term has since become a standard part of the vocabulary used in both academic and public discussions of AI.[4]

As a co-founder of DeepMind, Legg helped establish an organisation that has produced a series of major research achievements in artificial intelligence, including advances in reinforcement learning, protein structure prediction, and game-playing AI systems. The company's trajectory from a London startup to a central component of Google's AI strategy has been one of the defining narratives of the AI field in the 2010s and 2020s.[13][14]

Legg's sustained focus on AI safety and the risks associated with advanced AI systems has positioned him as one of the early and consistent voices on these issues within the industry. His willingness to sign the Center for AI Safety's statement on existential risk from AI, alongside his continued work within one of the world's largest AI research organisations, reflects the tension between the pursuit of advanced AI capabilities and the imperative to manage the risks associated with such systems.[17][18]

His consistent 50 percent probability estimate for achieving minimal AGI by 2028, maintained over a period of years, has been cited as a benchmark in discussions of AGI timelines, and as AI capabilities have advanced rapidly in the mid-2020s, his predictions have attracted renewed scrutiny and attention.[6][16]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "The third cofounder of Google's $500 million AI startup has big ideas for making machines smarter".Business Insider.https://www.insider.com/shane-legg-google-deepmind-third-cofounder-artificial-intelligence-2017-1.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "About DeepMind".DeepMind.https://web.archive.org/web/20231010182114/https://www.deepmind.com/about.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Machine Super Intelligence".Vetta Project.2008.http://www.vetta.org/documents/Machine_Super_Intelligence.pdf.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Who Coined the Term AGI?".Ben Goertzel.https://goertzel.org/who-coined-the-term-agi/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Shane Legg — TIME100 AI".Time.https://web.archive.org/web/20241204064847/https://time.com/collection/time100-ai/6310659/shane-legg/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Deepmind co-founder Shane Legg sees 50 percent chance of "minimal AGI" by 2028".The Decoder.2025-12-14.https://the-decoder.com/deepmind-co-founder-shane-legg-sees-50-percent-chance-of-minimal-agi-by-2028/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Kiwi at heart of Google's biggest ever deal".The New Zealand Herald.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11384274.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Dr Shane Legg, Distinguished Alumni Award and Public Lecture".University of Waikato.https://events.waikato.ac.nz/events/dr-shane-legg,-distinguished-alumni-award-and-public-lecture.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  9. ↑ "CDMTCS Recent News".University of Auckland.https://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/research/groups/CDMTCS/docs/recentnews.php.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  10. ↑ "CDMTCS Research Reports".University of Auckland.https://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/research/groups/CDMTCS/researchreports/view-publication.php?selected-id=30.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  11. ↑ "IDSIA — Istituto Dalle Molle di Studi sull'Intelligenza Artificiale".IDSIA.https://www.idsia.ch/idsia_en/institute.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  12. ↑ "Seminar — Dr Shane Legg: What can the architecture of the brain teach us about artificial intelligence?".Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/events/seminar-dr-shane-legg-what-can-the-architecture-of-the-brain-teach-us-about-artificial-intelligence/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Google Buys U.K. Artificial Intelligence Company DeepMind".Bloomberg News.2014-01-27.https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-27/google-buys-u-k-artificial-intelligence-company-deepmind.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Google consolidates AI research labs into Google DeepMind to compete with OpenAI".VentureBeat.https://venturebeat.com/ai/google-consolidates-ai-research-labs-into-google-deepmind-to-compete-with-openai/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Google DeepMind Co-Founder, Shane Legg, Says AI Could End Remote Work".Mashable India.2025-12-26.https://in.mashable.com/tech/103994/google-deepmind-co-founder-shane-legg-says-ai-could-end-remote-work.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Google DeepMind Co-Founder Shane Legg Predicts AGI by 2028 With Societal Impact Focus".ITP.net.2025-12-23.https://www.itp.net/ai-automation/google-deepmind-co-founder-shane-legg-agi-prediction.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Statement on AI Risk".Center for AI Safety.https://www.safe.ai/statement-on-ai-risk.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Artificial intelligence could cause extinction of humanity, warn AI experts".i News.https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/artificial-intelligence-extinction-humanity-warns-ai-experts-2374966.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  19. ↑ "What is artificial general intelligence?".MIT Technology Review.2020-10-15.https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/10/15/1010461/artificial-general-intelligence-robots-ai-agi-deepmind-google-openai/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  20. ↑ "Google DeepMind co-founder Shane Legg lays down 'laptop rule' to spot if AI can replace your job".Mint.2025-12-27.https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/google-deepmind-co-founder-shane-legg-lays-down-laptop-rule-to-spot-jobs-ai-could-replace-11766845236801.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  21. ↑ WellsRachelRachel"These 7 Remote Jobs Are At Risk Of AI, Google DeepMind's Exec Warns".Forbes.2025-12-29.https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelwells/2025/12/29/these-7-remote-jobs-are-at-risk-of-ai-google-deepminds-exec-warns/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  22. ↑ "AI will kill remote jobs, end work-from-home, says Google DeepMind co-founder Shane Legg".The Indian Express.2025-12-29.https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/ai-will-kill-remote-jobs-end-work-from-home-says-google-deepmind-co-founder-shane-legg-10444868/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  23. ↑ "Why AI could be the biggest threat yet to work from home, remote jobs".The American Bazaar.2025-12-30.https://americanbazaaronline.com/2025/12/30/why-ai-could-be-the-biggest-threat-yet-to-work-from-home-remote-jobs-472380/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  24. ↑ "Google DeepMind co-founder and chief AGI scientist Shane Legg shares hiring post for his team; Elon Musk responds with a suggestion".The Times of India.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/google-deepmind-co-founder-and-chief-agi-scientist-shane-legg-shares-hiring-post-for-his-team-elon-musk-responds-with-a-suggestion/articleshow/127464431.cms.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  25. ↑ "Q&A with Shane Legg on Risks from AI".LessWrong.https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/No5JpRCHzBrWA4jmS/q-and-a-with-shane-legg-on-risks-from-ai.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  26. ↑ "Birthday Honours List 2019".UK Government.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812603/BirthdayHonoursList2019PressAssocWoTitles__1_.csv/preview.Retrieved 2026-02-24.

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