Last update: 02 May 2023, 07:05 IST
Hinton is also concerned about the impact of AI on jobs and the technology’s potential to rot jobs. (Photo: Geoffrey Hinton/Twitter)
Hinton won the Turing Award in 2018 for his breakthrough work in AI
Geoffrey Hinton, renowned computer scientist and one of the “godfathers of AI”, recently resigned from his job at Google to speak freely about his concerns about the risks of artificial intelligence.
Hinton, who won the Turing Award in 2018 for his groundbreaking work in AI, says he now regrets some of his life’s work and fears the consequences of the technology he helped create.
In an interview with The New York Times, Hinton expressed concerns about the potential misuse of AI by “bad actors” and the dissemination of fake images and text.
He noted that as competition in the industry intensifies, it may be impossible to prevent such outcomes, which could ultimately lead to a world where no one can tell what is true.
For half a century, Geoffrey Hinton has developed AI technologies. Now he fears they will cause serious damage. His journey from AI pioneer to apocalypse marks a remarkable moment for technology.
– Teacher. Nikolai Slavov (@slavov_n) May 2, 2023
Hinton is also concerned about the impact of AI on jobs and the technology’s potential to rot jobs. He recognizes that AI has the potential to write and run its own code, and even surpass human intelligence. Hinton admits he was once skeptical of such claims, but now believes it’s a real possibility.
Hinton joined Google more than a decade ago after the company acquired a startup he co-founded with two of his students, according to the NYT report. Their work on neural networks, which allowed machines to teach themselves to identify common objects, led to the development of cutting-edge AI tools like ChatGPT.
Hinton said he was initially happy with Google’s handling of technology, but grew concerned when Microsoft launched Bing, an AI-infused search engine that threatened Google’s core business.
After the interview, he took to Twitter to clarify his stance on why he left Google. Defending his former employers, he said, “I left so I could talk about the dangers of AI without considering the impact it has on Google. Google acted very responsibly.”
At the NYT today, Cade Metz implied that I left Google so I could criticize Google. In fact, I left so I could talk about the dangers of AI without considering the impact it has on Google. Google acted very responsibly.— Geoffrey Hinton (@geoffreyhinton) May 1, 2023
Hinton’s resignation from Google marks a turning point in his career as a scientist and educator. He now plans to devote his time to exposing the risks of AI and promoting a responsible approach to its development and use.
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