Dr. Geoffrey Hinton has left Google, expressing his vision about the dangers of AI without limits. He believes there is an “existential risk” when an actual digital intelligence enters the scene. Hinton partly regrets his contribution to the development of artificial intelligence, saying, “I console myself with the well-known excuse: If I hadn’t done it, someone else would have done the same thing.”
The 75-year-old academic has been interested in the development of artificial intelligence since 1972, when he found that AI tech could benefit from neural networks. These networks mimic the function of the human brain in that it consists of interconnected processors and is ‘trainable’. Chatbots like ChatGPT have developed the ability to communicate in a ‘human’ way with this method, though the technology is still developing.
Hinton sees the democratization of the use of AI as a worrying development. He expressed his concerns about AI in a telephone conversation with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, but did not disclose what was said. At the end of March, he already had a number of warnings about the use of artificial intelligence, but there was no final rejection of the technology.
Hinton’s departure from Google highlights the potential risks of artificial intelligence and the need for caution when using it. As AI technology continues to develop, it is essential to consider the implications of its use and ensure it is used responsibly.
