AI godfather Geoffrey Hinton warns humanity faces 10% to 20% chance of extinction in next 30 years

Geoffrey Hinton was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics earlier this year for his contributions to AI.

Updated on: Dec 28, 2024, 17:08:46 IST

By HT News Desk

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Computer Scientist Geoffrey Hinton, who is regarded as the "godfather" of artificial intelligence (AI) worldwide, has warned the masses that the recent technology could lead to human extinction in the next three decades.

Nobel Prize in Physics 2024 laureate, British-Canadian computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton shared his evolving views on AI’s potential risks. (AFP)

The British-Canadian computer scientist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics earlier this year for his contributions to AI, estimated there is a "10% to 20%" chance that the technology will result in humanity's demise over the next 30 years, which is a significant increase from his earlier predictions.

When asked if the odds had increased, Hinton said, “If anything. You see, we've never had to deal with things more intelligent than ourselves before," said in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

READ | Geoffrey Hinton 'very worried' about AI taking away your job: What he said

Hinton discussed his evolving views on AI’s potential risks, stating that the likelihood of AI causing harm has risen in recent times.

“And how many examples do you know of a more intelligent thing being controlled by a less intelligent thing? There are very few examples. There's a mother and baby. Evolution put a lot of work into allowing the baby to control the mother, but that's about the only example I know of," he added.

Earlier, Hinton conceded that "I wish I'd thought about safety earlier," in allusion to his fears about the potential for AI to ramp up the arms race.

The remarks came after Hinton resigned from Google in 2023 to speak more freely about the potential dangers of unregulated AI development.

Hinton made headlines when he quit Google and warned of the dangers machines could one day outsmart people.

He also expressed concerns about the possibility of some "bad actors" exploiting AI for destructive purposes.

Geoffrey Hinton on AI's rapid advancement

On being asked about his thoughts on the rapid pace of AI advancements, Hinton admitted that even he had not anticipated such swift progress.

“I didn't think it would be where we (are) now. I thought at some point in the future we would get here," he was quoted as saying.

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