Artificial general intelligence — an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can beat humans at almost any cognitive task – is arriving in just a couple of years, likely during President Trump’s term. Researchers, experts, and policy officials in the White House are trying to convey the urgency of the moment, saying we’re not ready.

Ben Buchanan was the top adviser on AI in the Biden White House. He’s not connected to an AI lab, and he was at the nerve center of policymaking on AI for years. So what does he see coming? What keeps him up at night? And what does the government need to do to get ready for the AGI – or something like it - that is right on the horizon?