AI Poses a Threat to Human Survival: AI Godfather Geoffrey Hinton

Renowned British-Canadian computer scientist and "AI Godfather" Professor Geoffrey Hinton has voiced concerns about the potential threat artificial intelligence (AI) poses to human survival in the next 30 years. Speaking in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today program, Hinton estimated a 10-20% chance that AI could endanger humanity within three decades. Notably, this marks an increase from his earlier projection of a 10% risk.

When asked about his updated risk assessment, Hinton explained the rise from 10% to 20%, attributing it to the unprecedented intelligence of AI systems. He likened AI systems to parents and humans controlling them to children, emphasizing the challenges of managing something more intelligent than us.

Hinton, who left Google in 2023 to freely discuss the risks of unregulated AI development, has been vocal about the dangers posed by rapid advancements in this technology. He highlighted that the pace of AI evolution has far exceeded his expectations and called for urgent governmental regulation to ensure safety.

He warned that major companies often overlook caution in their race for AI innovation and stressed that governmental oversight is critical to mitigating risks. Hinton also expressed concerns that AI systems could eventually surpass human intelligence, a prospect he finds alarming.

The professor's candid remarks serve as a wake-up call about the need for balanced and regulated AI advancements to ensure humanity's safety.