Geoffrey Hinton quits Google to speak out freely on AI danger

You might have heard people say that the ‘AI threat is real’ but some of you might have questioned how real the threat actually is. We often underestimate the extent to which AIs are present in our everyday lives. If you feel that Artificial Intelligence doesn’t directly affect you then you are wrong, everything from your social media feed to the face ID on your 14 pro max is using it.

Credits: SimpliLearn

AI influence:

It is impossible live in today’s world and not be influenced by AI; whether it’s Search Engine Optimization, your banking systems or your Netflix Recommendations, everything around us is based on AI. Has it occurred to you what your routine could look like if your smart home devices, Siri, google traffic updates and the face IDs of your phones took a break from working? Pretty ugly! But Unlike humans, AIs do not need a break and consequently enhance and even supercharge humanity. The World Economic Forum suggests that artificial intelligence would give rise to 97 million new jobs by 2025 in the fields like bug fixing, developing and data sourcing. Not only could AIs be used to predict numerous natural disasters, they could help reduce human errors and consequently help reduce car accidents. IIT Madras researchers made AI models which accurately predicted heart diseases and different types of cancer. AIs could also be used for extraterrestrial and deep ocean exploration where human intervention could prove to be dangerous.

With the assistance of AIs, human development is expected to speed up by centuries worth of work in the field of research and medical sciences. The contributions made by artificial intelligence in understanding the impact of climate change and deciding measures to prevent it have helped in reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency, and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. The growth in the AI sector has made it an important part of the world economy.

So how is it a threat?

Artificial Intelligence is a gift to the society only when it has been developed correctly. Numerous people who have worked in the field have cited Artificial Intelligence as a dangerous invention. Such people include Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton. People who are opposed to AIs often highlight the way in which they are being developed as concerning. AI developers are now training them to withhold information and lie to the users about what they know.

Hinton’s resignation:

Geoffrey Hinton, a Noble Prize winner who is known as one of the Godfathers of Artificial Intelligence has now open up about the potential dangers of AI. Geoffrey who was working with Google resigned from his job so that he could speak his mind out. Although Hinton played a significant role in the development of AI technology, he has started regretting his contribution to the field. The genius has said that a part of him regrets the work of his life but he consoles himself by thinking that someone else would have achieved the same if he did not contribute to the field.

His Concern and Google’s response:

According to an interview, Hinton’s concerns increased after the launch of Microsoft’s ChatGPT infused Bing. He claims that this would start an endless competition which would empower AIs enough to adversely effect us. He also revealed that his opinions on AI have changed over time. Earlier he thought that it would take AI a number of decades to get close to human intelligence but he no longer believes so. In response to havoc caused by Hinton’s comments, Google has said that they will continue being responsible in the development of AIs and would not compromise safety for innovation. Later, the Nobel Prize winner too, claimed that Google had been responsible in AI development so far.