‘AI Godfather’ Warns of Technology's Risks After Leaving Google

Dr. Geoffrey Hinton is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) pioneer who worked at Google for over a decade.

 He has resigned from his position to speak openly about the potential dangers of AI. Hinton nicknamed the “Godfather of AI” for his work on neural networks, has expressed concerns about AI's potential to flood the internet with fake photos, videos, and text, leading to a situation where people cannot differentiate truth from lies. Hinton believes that AI's potential to learn unexpected behaviors from large amounts of data could lead to a job takeover and pose a threat to humanity. The development of lethal autonomous weapons systems in the AI arms race has also raised concerns for Hinton.

Hinton's resignation follows increasing concerns among regulators, lawmakers, and tech industry executives about the development of AI. An open letter signed by 2,600 tech executives and researchers in March called for a temporary stop in AI development, citing risks to humanity. In April, a group of 12 lawmakers in the European Union signed a letter similar to the one signed by tech executives and researchers, and the EU has drafted a bill to classify AI tools according to their risk levels. The United Kingdom has allocated $125 million to establish a task force that will promote the development of safe AI.

AI Misuse for Disinformation Campaigns Raises Concerns

Instances of AI-generated fake news have already led to media outlets unknowingly spreading disinformation. On May 1, Binance claimed it was the victim of a ChatGPT-originated smear campaign that falsely linked its CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao to a Chinese Communist Party youth organization. Last week, pranksters tricked multiple media outlets, including the Daily Mail and The Independent, with a fake story about a Canadian actor named "Saint Von Colucci" who died after a plastic surgery operation to look like a South Korean pop star. The story came from a press release that used AI-generated images.

Hinton's concerns about AI are valid, as the technology has the potential to be misused in harmful ways. As AI continues to advance, it is important for researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to work together to ensure that its development is responsible and beneficial to society.

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