Geoffrey Hinton, a world-renowned pioneer of artificial intelligence and widely known as the “godfather of AI,” has made a bold move by resigning from Google. He made this decision to shed more light on what he deems the many dangers of the technology without any employment restrictions.
In a recent tweet, Hinton announced his departure, stating that he aims to speak freely about AI’s potential hazards. This move has sent shockwaves through the AI community. It also raised questions about the technology’s ethical considerations and the impact of corporate influence.
Hinton resigned as concerns mount within the AI community over the potential risks posed to humanity by the rapid advances made in the field over the past year. In March, several tech leaders signed a letter calling for a six-month pause in AI development due to the potential dangers of independent learning AI programs being built by tech giants like Google and Microsoft.
What Hinton really fears about the AI
In an interview with the New York Times, he spoke about the “profound risks to society and humanity” posed by AI advancements, particularly the technology’s ability to create convincing fake content.
The AI Godfather expressed concerns about the loss of jobs and the idea that AI could become smarter than humans. Hinton’s groundbreaking research on neural networks, the basis for current AI systems, has been a driving force in the industry.
Despite this, he warns against further expanding AI until we have understood how to control it. Google AI lead scientist Jeff Dean expressed the company’s commitment to “a responsible approach to AI” following Hinton’s resignation.
