Professor Geoffrey Hinton, the British-Canadian computer scientist known as the ‘Godfather of AI,’ has raised the alarm about the growing risks of artificial intelligence (AI), predicting that the technology could eventually “take control” and pose a threat to humanity within the next 30 years.
Hinton, who has previously suggested there was a 10% chance of AI causing human extinction, now estimates the likelihood to be between 10% and 20% due to the rapid pace of AI development. He stressed the importance of being “very careful” and “very thoughtful” in managing AI’s progress, describing it as “potentially very dangerous.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Hinton pointed out that humanity has never had to manage something more intelligent than itself. He remarked, “How many examples are there of a more intelligent entity being controlled by a less intelligent one?” He noted that the only example that comes to mind is the relationship between a mother and a baby.
Hinton, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics this year, expressed concern over the speed at which AI is evolving, admitting that there has not been enough time for thorough research on the subject. While he is credited with laying the groundwork for machine learning, his recent efforts have been focused on advocating for safer AI development.
Reflecting on his early predictions, Hinton said, “I didn’t think we’d be where we are now. I thought we’d get here at some point in the future.” He added that most experts in the field now agree that within the next 20 years, AI may surpass human intelligence, a prospect he described as “a very scary thought.”
To illustrate the potential impact of AI, he compared it to the industrial revolution, when machines replaced human strength. “Now, we have machines replacing human intelligence,” he explained. “Ordinary human intelligence won’t be at the cutting edge anymore. It will be the machines.”
