General-Purpose AI

A variant of artificial intelligence designed or deployed to perform tasks across multiple domains and contexts rather than being narrowly specialized, with the potential to be adapted for diverse applications and thus subject to specific regulatory considerations.

Models characterized by broad capabilities across multiple tasks or domains (as distinct from narrow, application-specific systems). The Framework distinguishes these from narrower systems because their scale and systemic effects may warrant different regulatory treatment and higher scrutiny.

General-purpose AI describes more advanced AI systems intended to operate across multiple domains and perform a wide range of tasks with flexible reasoning and learning abilities. The strategy contrasts general-purpose AI with narrow AI for long-term planning, risk consideration, and infrastructure development.

General-purpose AI, referred to as foundation models, are large-scale models trained on broad datasets that can be adapted or fine-tuned for many different downstream applications. The Strategy highlights these models as a focal point for national research, governance, and risk-management given their broad applicability and systemic impact.