Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “Godfather of AI,” has warned that AI could potentially lead to human extinction within the next ten years. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, reported by Tom McArdle for The Telegraph, Hinton estimated a 10 to 20 percent chance of AI causing humanity’s downfall.
The 77-year-old British computer scientist, who recently received the Nobel Prize in Physics, emphasized that humans have never before dealt with entities more intelligent than themselves. Hinton, who pioneered fundamental AI technology in the 1980s, expressed concern about the unprecedented speed of AI development. He compared the current AI revolution to the industrial revolution but highlighted a crucial difference: while humans maintained control over machines that were merely stronger, AI systems could potentially surpass human intelligence.
The professor called for stricter government regulation of AI companies, stating that market forces alone cannot ensure safe development. He warned that AI could make humans equivalent to “three-year-olds” compared to the technology’s capabilities. While acknowledging potential benefits like increased productivity, Hinton expressed concern about wealth concentration and job displacement. He also noted that his regrets about developing AI technology stem not from guilt but from uncertainty about its ultimate consequences for humanity.