The Wicked Nature of AGI
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European University Institute
Italy
Abstract
Artificial general intelligence (AGI) represents an unprecedented ambition within the field of technology, aiming to create systems capable of matching or surpassing human abilities across multiple domains. Unlike Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI), AGI is anticipated to operate without task-specific limitations and predefined purposes, raising complex, pressing issues surrounding autonomy, control and potential societal impact. This article applies Rittel and Webber’s wicked problem theory to critically examine AGI governance, categorising AGI within the ten characteristics of wicked problems. The absence of a definitive formulation, its unstoppable potential evolution, the subjective and context-dependent nature of its solutions, the irreversibility of interventions and the multiplicity of stakeholder perspectives all underscore the inadequacy of existing governance paradigms. In response, this article advocates for dynamic, iterative and flexible governance frameworks that acknowledge AGI’s ontic uniqueness and potential for autonomous evolution. Rather than treating AGI as a distant or hypothetical concern, this analysis argues for a multidimensional, forward-looking governance model that recognises AGI as an urgent and inherently wicked problem.
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Author Biography
Yeliz Figen Döker, Ph.D., is a researcher at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, specialising in the regulation of Artificial General Intelligence within the Department of Law. Her work addresses the unique uncertainties of AGI development and the need for novel regulatory frameworks that balance legal oversight with technological innovation. Alongside her academic research, she is a Metaverse Designer and co-founder of The Digital Constitutionalist Association (DigiCon), where she leads the operational and editorial activities of its science fiction section. She also contributes to the Millennium Project’s initiatives on Artificial General Intelligence. Her broader research interests include machine ethics, experiential learning models for AGI, and the use of science fiction as a conceptual tool for legal scholarship. She is a member of the Istanbul Bar Association.
