Geoffrey Hinton, a trailblazer in the field of artificial intelligence, is concerned that the pursuit of highly developed AI could lead humanity to a catastrophic outcome
Geoffrey Hinton, one of the “godfathers of AI” and a pioneer in artificial intelligence, resigned from his position at Google so that he could openly express his concerns about how A.I. could cause significant injury to the world.
Hinton acknowledged in an interview with The New York Times that he partially regrets his life’s work. Hinton concerns that the technology could be used irresponsibly, resulting in unintended consequences, despite the usefulness of A.I.
Hinton is worried that tech giants like Google and Microsoft will compete to make the most advanced A.I., which will lead to a global race that won’t stop until there is some kind of control on a global scale. In addition, he emphasized that he believed Google to have conducted its research responsibly.
Hinton is well-known for popularizing the theoretical development of neural networks in 1986 and for developing an image-recognition-capable neural network in 2012. His contributions were essential to the development of current generative art models, such as Stable Diffusion and MidJourney, and established the groundwork for OpenAI’s future efforts to make GPT-4 capable of interacting with images.
Many have compared him to J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physics professor attributed with developing the atomic bomb, due to his potentially tardy move.
Problems associated with AI
One of the most pressing issues is the prevalence of fake content online, which could make it increasingly difficult for individuals to discern truth from falsehood. As AI systems become more advanced, there is a growing risk that they could be used to create and disseminate misleading and manipulative content, leading to confusion and deception among the public.
Another area of concern for Hinton is the potential impact of AI on the job market. While AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT are currently used to complement human workers, they could ultimately replace individuals who perform routine tasks such as personal assistants, accountants, and translators. While AI may help alleviate some tedious work, it could also lead to the loss of more jobs than anticipated, upsetting the social balance.
Hinton worries about future AI systems threatening mankind. They could learn unexpected behaviors from the massive volumes of data they collect, which could present problems when AI systems generate and execute their own code. Thus, advanced AI systems may behave in unpredictable or dangerous ways and endangering society.
Hinton is among the tens of thousands of tech leaders and researchers who are alarmed by the exponential development of AI in a variety of fields, from erotic conversations to medical diagnostics. Last month, an open letter circulated in which leaders called for a pause to AI development until adequate controls are in place. Hinton refused to sign it.
Hinton’s changing views on A.I. show that he is becoming more aware of the risks and problems that come with technology that changes quickly. Hinton quit his life’s work because he didn’t want to see something happen that he says is getting closer and closer every day.
“Look at how it was five years ago and how it is now,” he told The New York Times. “Take the difference and propagate it forwards. That’s scary.”
Content Source: decrypt.com
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