Godfather of AI Geoffrey Hinton Quits Google, Says Technology Could Wipe Out Humanity 

Geoffrey Hinton, a widely popular cognitive psychologist and computer scientist know as the Godfather of AI, who is most noted for his work on artificial neural networks, has announced his departure from Google. Hinton claims that he has resigned from Google to make people aware of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence as a technology. He announced this decision in an interview with The New York Times.

After having worked in Google for almost a decade, Hinton declared his departure from Google in May 2023, citing the need to have the liberty to express his concerns about the hazards of artificial intelligence without restriction. He has expressed worries about potential misuse by malicious individuals, the possibility of technological unemployment, and the existential danger posed by artificial general intelligence. He, however, clarified through a tweet that he never intended to blame Google for this move.

“In the NYT today, Cade Metz implies that I left Google so that I could criticize Google. Actually, I left so that I could talk about the dangers of AI without considering how this impacts Google. Google has acted very responsibly,” said Hinton.

Godfather of AI Geoffrey Hinton Highlights Concerns on AI

Of late, Hinton has been highlighting concerns on the advent of artificial general intelligence. In a recent interview with CBS, Hinton stated that while he earlier believed that AGI was around fifty years away, it now seemed like it is only twenty years away or even less than that as it has become a revolution like the industrial revolution.

He also mentioned that he regrets some of the work he has done so far. Hinton has also warned people that the possibility of an AI takeover that could potentially eradicate humanity is not unimaginable. Artificial intelligence could also be misused, so there was a need to think hard about controlling artificial systems that were capable of self improvement. He also highlighted concerns on bad actors misusing AI for their iniquitous activities.