Geoffrey Hinton, known as one of the “godfathers of AI,” recently left Alphabet after a decade at the firm. He believes that artificial intelligence (AI) could be a more pressing threat to humanity than climate change. Hinton’s work is critical to the development of contemporary AI systems.
AI Posing a Threat
Hinton is among a growing number of tech leaders who are worried about the possible threat posed by AI if machines achieve greater intelligence than humans and take control of the planet. Hinton said, “I wouldn’t like to devalue climate change… But I think this might end up being more urgent.” Hinton disagrees with pausing research, saying that it’s unrealistic, and we should be working hard right now to figure out what we can do about it.
Global Summit on AI
In the European Union, a committee of lawmakers called on US President Joe Biden to convene a global summit on the future direction of the technology with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The committee agreed on a landmark set of proposals targeting generative AI, which would force companies like OpenAI to disclose any copyright material used to train their models. Biden held talks with a number of AI company leaders at the White House, promising a “frank and constructive discussion” on the need for companies to be more transparent about their systems.
Hinton believes that the tech leaders have the best understanding of AI, and the politicians have to be involved since it affects us all. With the increasing concerns over AI, it’s imperative that we take steps to ensure that AI is developed safely and ethically.
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