Peter Voss is a trailblazer in Artificial Intelligence, credited with coining the term Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in 2001 alongside fellow AI visionaries. With a deep-rooted passion for intelligence—both human and artificial—he has spent decades pioneering advancements to bring human-level AI closer to reality.
A globally recognized thought leader in AI and AGI, Peter is a highly sought-after speaker who has delivered keynote presentations at major industry events, including the CIO Conference in Southern California and SXSW 2025, where he spoke on the future of AI. An engineer at heart, a scientist by curiosity, and an inventor by nature, he has founded multiple AI companies, each pushing the boundaries of what is possible. His lifelong mission is to develop AGI that not only mimics human cognitive abilities but actively enhances human potential, driving innovation and human flourishing across industries.
Peter began his career in electronics engineering but soon discovered a deep passion for software. His first major success came from developing a comprehensive ERP system, helping grow a company from inception to a 400-person IPO in just seven years.
Motivated by the inherent limitations of traditional software, Peter has spent the past two decades exploring the nature of intelligence—how it develops in humans and how it can be replicated and expanded through AI. His interdisciplinary approach includes deep study in cognitive science, epistemology, psychology, philosophy, ethics, and theory of mind, all integrated into a robust Theory of Intelligence.
In December 2001, he founded Adaptive AI Inc. with the goal of researching and developing a commercially viable general-purpose AI engine. In 2006, he successfully commercialized an early iteration of this work through SmartAction.
Peter’s work integrates insights from several key domains critical to advancing AGI:
- Rationality: A foundation for knowledge and ethics, influenced by Objectivist philosophy and focused on rational approaches to personal and social ethics.
- Human Development: Emphasizing physical, financial, cognitive, and emotional well-being, including IQ, EQ, relationships, and appreciation of art.
- Longevity: Research into lifespan extension, including calorie restriction (CRON) and cryonics.
- Environment: Economic, social, and political systems that support optimal living and human potential.
These interests naturally extend into futurism and technologies aimed at overcoming human limitations. He aligns closely with transhumanist philosophy, particularly Extropianism, and sees significant promise in AI, nanotechnology, and longevity science.
Peter is the author of numerous works, including Essentials of General Intelligence: The Direct Path to AGI, Calorie Poisoning: Civilization’s Exploding Killer Disease, True Morality: Rational Principles for Optimal Living, The Nature of Free Will, and several other publications on intelligence, ethics, and future technologies.
His broader intellectual focus spans cognitive science (human-level cognition), philosophy and epistemology (the nature of knowledge), psychology (including theory of mind and intelligence measurement), and computer science—particularly self-modifying systems and hybrid AI architectures combining connectionist and traditional approaches.
Beyond AI, Peter is deeply interested in what he calls Optimal Living—maximizing both the quality and quantity of life through personal responsibility, continuous learning, and human advancement.
