Known to many as the "Godfather of AI," Geoffrey Hinton gives a rather grave prediction in a new interview when it comes to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
What Happened: Hinton has shared many predictions on the outcomes of AI in recent years, including how the rise of the technology could impact the jobs market.
"A lot of people think chatbots, even though they can answer questions correctly, don't understand what they're saying, that it's just a statistical trick. And that's complete rubbish," Hinton told The Globe and Mail.
The former Alphabet GOOGGOOGL employee, said machines have "the cognitive aspects of emotions, but not the physiological aspects."
"We are mortal and they are not," he added. But there remains a risk of rogue AI and robots making themselves.
"We have some control over what it is they are going to design,” Hinton says. “But not as much as we'd like."
Machines could look for ways to gain control and be able to control what happens. Hinton compares the machines to little kids pushing for more.
"And we're like the parents who have no clue how to parent them,” he adds.
Hinton said he prefers that people are in charge and aren't replaced.
Hinton has no regrets about going into his field and making discoveries that helped advance AI. If he didn't do it, someone else would have, he says.
"As soon as I thought it might wipe us out, I quit Google and started telling people it might wipe us out."
Hinton said he originally thought it would be 30 to 50 years in the future when humans could be wiped out. The new interview gives Hinton an escalated time frame.
"I would estimate somewhere between five and twenty years. There's a 50-50 chance AI will get smarter than us. When it gets smarter than us, I don't know what the probability is that it will take over, but it seems to me quite likely."
Related Link: AI ‘Godfather’ Geoffrey Hinton Calls For Decision To Protect Humanity
Why It's Important: Hinton is pushing for regulation in the artificial intelligence space to prevent items like this from happening.
"The only thing that could possibly keep Elon (Musk) and Peter Thiel and (Mark) Zuckerberg under control is government regulation. That's the only thing strong enough to do the job."
During the interview, Hinton also shared that he recently talked to Elon Musk and was asked by the billionaire to be on an advisory board.
Hinton said that he agreed with Musk that AI runs an "existential threat" to humankind in its current unchecked regulation. The Godfather of AI shared that Musk began rambling during the phone call.
Left with not wanting to continue to conversation with Musk, Hinton said he made up a meeting that he needed to leave for.
"He's not going to like that. Because him being the center of attention, that's what he wants. I don't think he's my friend anymore."
Hinton famously left Google in May 2023 after citing concerns for the risks of artificial intelligence technology.
During a "60 Minutes" interview, Hinton previously said there were good and bad that could come from artificial intelligence with too many unknowns on what could happen next.
"We need to think hard about what's going to happen next. And we just don't know."
Image: Pixabay
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