AI News Monitor

Last year, pioneering computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton was awarded the Nobel Prize for his foundational work in machine learning, a breakthrough that paved the way for today’s artificial intelligence revolution. But in a recent interview, the 77-year-old “godfather of AI” expressed deep concerns about the unchecked rise of the technology he helped create.

Hinton, who spent decades as an academic outsider before neural networks reshaped the tech landscape, reflected on AI’s rapid progress. “I believed we’d get here eventually—but not this soon,” he told reporter Brooke Silva-Braga. “Ten years ago, I didn’t think we’d be at this point.”

From Nobel Dreams to Existential Fears

Hinton’s 1986 research on neural networks laid the groundwork for modern large language models like ChatGPT. Yet he now compares advanced AI to raising a tiger cub: “It’s cute now, but unless you’re sure it won’t kill you when it grows up, you should worry.” He estimates a 10–20% chance AI could eventually seize control from humans, calling for urgent safeguards to ensure it remains “benevolent.”

His warnings echo those of other tech leaders, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman (“AI will probably lead to the end of the world”) and Elon Musk, who has long demanded regulation. But Hinton accuses corporations—including Google, where he worked before retiring—of prioritizing profit over safety. “They’re lobbying for less regulation,” he said. “They spend a fraction of their computing power on safety research—it should be a third.”

A Contrarian Legacy

Hinton’s skepticism aligns with his lifelong defiance of consensus. The son of a prominent entomologist and descendant of mathematician George Boole (whose work enabled computing), he pursued neural networks when they were dismissed as impractical. His most famous protégé, Ilya Sutskever, later became OpenAI’s chief scientist and briefly ousted Altman over safety concerns—a move Hinton praised as “naive but principled.”

Now, Hinton fears a reckless race between the U.S. and China, with AI’s potential for authoritarian abuse and cyberattacks. He’s even spread his savings across multiple banks, wary of AI-driven financial disruption.

“A Change We’ve Never Seen Before”

Despite his alarm, Hinton admits the scale of AI’s impact is hard to grasp. “We’re at a special point in history where everything might totally change,” he said. “It’s hard to absorb emotionally.”

As governments lag on regulation, Hinton’s message is stark: the world isn’t ready for what’s coming. “People haven’t understood yet,” he said. “There may be no way to stop it.”

Responses from AI Labs:
When asked about safety research allocation, Google, Meta, and OpenAI declined to provide specifics but reiterated commitments to “responsible AI.” Meanwhile, proposed regulations face industry opposition.