The British-born 'godfather of AI', Geoffrey Hinton, has issued a stark warning that robot-controlled technology is "hurtling out of control". The Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist said the global race for AI dominance is putting the "future of humanity on the line" and sharply criticised 'big tech bros' like Elon Musk leading the charge.
Warnings at London Premiere
The 78-year-old was in London at the premiere of the documentary AI: Probably Nothing to Worry About, which will be broadcast on Channel 4 next Thursday (12 Nov). In the film, Hinton warns: "We don't know what to do to make them safe."
He added: "How many examples do you know of more intelligent things being controlled by less intelligent things?"
Speed of Development and Lack of Regulation
Hinton warned that the breakneck speed of AI model development means the world is on the cusp of creating unregulated "superintelligence" which will be more intelligent than people. He quit Google in 2023 to be able to speak freely about the risks posed by AI, having spent four decades working on the technology.
While he recognises the potential benefits, he has become increasingly concerned about the lack of regulation and the motives behind several major AI pioneers. He said: "There's this competition between countries and between companies to make it [AI] smarter and smarter and smarter, in the hope that you can replace lots of workers and get lots of money. That's what's driving it."
Criticism of Tech Titans
Hinton is credited with inventing the concept of the neural network – the mathematical system which underpins the development of AI models. But he said he did not forecast the speed at which it's developing and said he should have "thought about safety sooner".
He criticised American tech titans including OpenAI's Sam Altman, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and xAI founder Musk, calling them "dangerous". He added: "I wouldn't buy a used car from any of them."
