The Godfather of AI sounds the alarm

 

Geoffrey Hinton, also known as the “Godfather of AI,” left his part-time role at Google last week to raise awareness about the dangers of the technology he helped develop. Hinton's pioneering work on neural networks shaped AI systems that power many products today. However, he has concerns about the technology and his role in advancing it. Hinton left Google so he could speak freely about the risks of AI, rather than criticizing Google specifically.

In a tweet, Hinton stated that he left Google so he could talk about the dangers of AI without worrying about how it would impact Google. Hinton's decision to step back from the company and speak out about the technology comes at a time when lawmakers, advocacy groups, and tech insiders have raised alarms about the potential for a new crop of AI-powered chatbots to spread misinformation and displace jobs.

Tech companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google are at the forefront of an arms race to develop and deploy similar AI tools in their products. IBM, Amazon, Baidu, and Tencent are also working on similar technologies. In March, prominent figures in tech signed a letter calling for AI labs to stop training the most powerful AI systems for at least six months, citing "profound risks to society and humanity."

Hinton echoed concerns about AI's potential to eliminate jobs and create a world where many will "not be able to know what is true anymore." He also pointed to the stunning pace of advancement, far beyond what he and others had anticipated. Even before stepping aside from Google, Hinton had spoken publicly about AI's potential to do harm as well as good.

In a 2021 commencement address at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in Mumbai, Hinton said, "I believe that the rapid progress of AI is going to transform society in ways we do not fully understand, and not all of the effects are going to be good." Hinton noted how AI will boost healthcare while also creating opportunities for lethal autonomous weapons. "I find this prospect much more immediate and much more terrifying than the prospect of robots taking over, which I think is a very long way off."

Hinton's departure from Google follows the firing of an engineer in July who claimed an unreleased AI system had become sentient, violating employment and data security policies. Many in the AI community pushed back strongly on the engineer's assertion.

In an interview with the New York Times, Hinton acknowledged that he consoles himself with the normal excuse that if he hadn't done it, somebody else would have. However, he is worried about the direction of AI and what it could do in the wrong hands. He hopes that speaking out will encourage others to do the same and push for the development of AI to be more regulated.

Jeff Dean, Chief Scientist at Google, said that Hinton has made foundational breakthroughs in AI and expressed appreciation for his decade of contributions at Google. Dean also stated that Google remains committed to a responsible approach to AI and is continually learning to understand emerging risks while also innovating boldly.

Hinton's decision to leave Google and speak out about the dangers of AI comes at a critical time for the technology. It is important to have voices like Hinton's in the discussion about AI's potential and its impact on society. Hinton's departure from Google will hopefully inspire others in the industry to speak out and push for more regulation of AI. The technology has incredible potential, but we need to make sure it is used responsibly and with caution.