Geoffrey Hinton recently quit Google warning of the dangers of artificial intelligence. Is AI really going to destroy us? And how long do we have to prevent it?
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic in recent years, with many experts in the field expressing concerns over its potential impact on society. One of these experts is Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, also known as one of the “Godfathers of AI”, who recently made headlines by leaving Google and warning the public of the dangers of AI.
Who is Geoffrey Hinton?
Geoffrey Hinton is a cognitive psychologist and computer scientist who has been working on AI for the past 50 years. He is known as one of the pioneers in the field of neural networking, which is an approach to building computer systems that can learn from data and experience.
The Dangers of Artificial Intelligence
In a recent interview, Hinton expressed his concern that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity. He argues that as we continue to develop more advanced AI systems, there is a real risk that they could outthink and outmaneuver us, leading to disastrous consequences.
Hinton notes that one of the advantages of biological intelligence like ours is that it runs at low power, using just 30 watts, even when we are thinking. By contrast, digital intelligences have an enormous advantage in that it is trivial to share information between multiple copies, even if it comes at an enormous cost in terms of energy. As a result, digital intelligences may be able to learn and adapt at a much faster pace than biological intelligences.
“It’s as if you had 10,000 people and whenever one person learned something, everybody automatically knew it. And that’s how these chatbots can know so much more than any one person,” he said in an interview with BBC.
The Potential Timeframe for Disaster
When asked about the timeline for this potential disaster, Hinton says that he used to believe we had 30 to 50 years to prevent it, but now he thinks the crunch time will come in the next five to 20 years. He acknowledges that there is still hope that AI’s potential may be over-stated, but he argues that the odds of disaster are closer to a coin toss than we might like.
The Role of Capitalism
Hinton argues that this development is an unavoidable consequence of technology under capitalism. He notes that while Google has been a leader in AI research, the core technical breakthroughs that underlie this wave came from Google, and it decided not to release them directly to the public.
Google was worried about all the things we worry about, and it has a good reputation and doesn’t want to mess it up. But the problem is, in a capitalist system, if your competitor then does do that, there’s nothing you can do but do the same.
Hinton clarified that he has a lot of respect for Google and its commitment to responsible AI development, and added the company has been “very responsible.”
The Need for Action
Hinton emphasizes the need for action in order to prevent the worst-case scenario. He believes that we need to focus on this issue and get the best brains who know about AI – not just philosophers, politicians, and policy wonks but people who actually understand the details of what’s happening – to think hard about these issues.
He notes that while short-term use of AI can help solve ethical and justice issues present in the technology today, it won’t necessarily improve humanity’s chances of survival at large. Instead, we need to focus on the long-term implications of AI and work to prevent the worst-case scenario from becoming a reality.
Conclusion
Geoffrey Hinton’s warning about the dangers of AI is a wake-up call for all of us. As we continue to develop more advanced AI systems, we need to be aware of the potential risks and work to prevent them from becoming a reality. By focusing on this issue and bringing together the best minds in the field, we can work to ensure that AI is used for the betterment of humanity, rather than its destruction.
