The Path to AGI Goes through Embodiment

Recent advances in large language models have raised the question of whether these language models alone could lead to artificial general intelligence (AGI). In this short position essay, we argue that embodiment is not only required for achieving AGI, but also that embodiment is the key to convincingly demonstrate AGI capabilities. There is no single widely-accepted, objective test for AGI, so therefore whether a system has achieved AGI is a subjective judgement. We argue that a language-only system or one that cannot demonstrate success in the real world would not be convincing.