Andrej Karpathy: “Today’s LLMs are like ghosts”

In his conversation with Dwarkesh Patel and in a series of posts on X, Karpathy doesn’t deny progress. However, he emphasizes that the current models are far from artificial general intelligence (AGI). They lack memory, learning continuity and the ability to operate in the physical world. According to him, for us to move from the current solutions to AGI there’s plenty of work ahead on the foundations — integration with sensors, safety, reliability, understanding the social context… Which aren’t issues that a new model version will solve.

Animals and ghosts

When comparing AI to AGI, Karpathy uses an analogy that he frames as “animals” and “ghosts.” Animals are physical organisms — they have a body, senses, needs and instincts. They learn through action: they feel hunger, see danger, experience pain and satisfaction, and respond appropriately. Their intelligence is a product of evolution, programmed over millions of years for survival and adaptation.