My hobby: running deranged surveys

AI researcher Leo Gao's viral survey project began with a provocative hypothesis at NeurIPS 2024—the world's largest AI research conference. Testing 38 random attendees, he discovered only 63% could correctly define AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), with some guessing "Amazon General Intelligence" or "Artificial Generative Intelligence." This surprising result, shared on social media platform X, revealed unexpected knowledge gaps even among AI professionals, challenging assumptions about baseline understanding in the field.

Gao expanded his research using professional polling services to survey the general US population, employing importance sampling techniques to approximate national demographics. His first major finding: 66% of Americans would choose to live forever in perfect health if given the option, with only 14% declining. The study included qualitative responses revealing motivations ranging from witnessing technological advances to preserving family connections. Follow-up research showed approximately one-third of Americans believe life extension technology should be a top priority, highlighting public interest in radical technological interventions that often surprise Silicon Valley insiders.