Geoffrey Hinton, one of the three "Godfathers of AI" and recipient of the 2018 Turing Award, has shocked the world by quitting his job at Google. Now unshackled, Hinton shares his concerns about the risks associated with artificial intelligence in a candid interview with The New York Times.
Having devoted his life to trailblazing work on neural networks, Hinton expresses his regret about the potential misuse of AI. He said, "I console myself with the normal excuse: If I hadn’t done it, somebody else would have. It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things." The AI pioneer decided to leave Google to discuss these risks more openly.
In the NYT today, Cade Metz implies that I left Google so that I could criticize Google. Actually, I left so that I could talk about the dangers of AI without considering how this impacts Google. Google has acted very responsibly.
— Geoffrey Hinton (@geoffreyhinton) May 1, 2023
In his conversation with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Hinton revealed his concerns about the escalating competition between tech giants. He fears that this may lead to a world overwhelmed with fake imagery and text, making it impossible to distinguish between fact and fiction.
Despite these concerns, Google's chief scientist, Jeff Dean, emphasized the company's dedication to responsible AI. In a statement, he said, "We remain committed to a responsible approach to AI. We’re continually learning to understand emerging risks while also innovating boldly."
Beyond the immediate threat of misinformation, Hinton worries about AI eliminating mundane jobs and even posing a risk to humanity itself as it evolves to write and run its code. He once believed AI surpassing human intelligence was far off, but now, he isn't so sure.
Hinton's dramatic exit from Google and his open discussion of AI's potential dangers serve as a wake-up call for the tech world. His insights highlight the importance of fostering responsible innovation and addressing the ethical challenges that AI presents.
