A renowned AI pioneer, and co-author of the groundbreaking paper on “Learning representations by back-propagating errors,” Geoffrey Hinton, has expressed concern about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.
In an interview with Reuters, Hinton stated that AI could pose a more pressing threat to humanity than even climate change.
While he acknowledges the urgency of climate change, Hinton believes that the possibility of machines surpassing human intelligence and taking over the planet is an issue that must be addressed urgently.
After spending a decade at Alphabet, Hinton has decided to leave the company to speak out about the risks of AI without it affecting his former employer.
As one of the “godfathers of AI,” Hinton’s work has been crucial to the development of contemporary AI systems. He was also awarded the Turing Award in 2018 in recognition of his significant contributions to AI research breakthroughs.
Hinton’s growing concern about the potential threat posed by AI is shared by many other tech leaders. He acknowledges that climate change is also a significant risk, but he believes that AI’s risk is even more pressing.
Hinton emphasized that he does not intend to devalue the importance of addressing climate change, stating, “I wouldn’t like to say, You shouldn’t worry about climate change. That’s a huge risk too.”