AI ‘godfather’ Geoffrey Hinton, 75, announced his resignation from Google in a statement to the New York Times. In an interview with the BBC, he expressed his concerns and warns the dangers of AI chatbots, saying they may soon become more intelligent than humans. Dr Hinton also accepted that his age had played into his decision to leave the tech giant, saying “I’m 75, so it’s time to retire.” His departure from Google marks the end of a long and successful career in the tech industry, where he has been a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence.
ChatGPT and Dr. Geoffrey Hinton’s Research on AI
Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, a British-Canadian cognitive psychologist, and computer scientist, has made groundbreaking contributions to the field of artificial intelligence (AI) through his research on neural networks and deep learning. His work has enabled AI systems like ChatGPT to learn from experience, just like a human brain.
Dr. Hinton believes that chatbots could soon surpass the level of knowledge held by a human brain and that AI systems are progressing quickly. His research has been instrumental in the development of AI and has raised important questions about the implications of AI on society.
Dr. Hinton mentioned “bad actors” who could exploit AI for malicious purposes in a New York Times article. When asked by the BBC for more details, he raised a potential worst-case scenario where a malicious actor like Vladimir Putin could grant robots the ability to form their own sub-goals, which might include gaining more power.
Caution on Unprecedented Knowledge Accumulation
The AI pioneer cautioned that the intelligence being developed is fundamentally different from human intelligence. Unlike biological systems, digital systems have many identical copies of the same model, allowing them to learn independently and share knowledge instantaneously. As a result, chatbots can accumulate knowledge at an unprecedented scale.
Matt Clifford, the chairman of the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency, speaking in a personal capacity, told the BBC that Dr. Hinton’s announcement “underlines the rate at which AI capabilities are accelerating”.
“There’s an enormous upside from this technology, but it’s essential that the world invests heavily and urgently in AI safety and control,” he said.
Dr. Hinton joins a growing number of experts who have expressed concerns about AI – both the speed at which it is developing and the direction in which it is going.
We should pause and reconsider
In March, a group of AI experts, including Elon Musk and Yoshua Bengio, called for a halt to all AI development beyond the level of the ChatGPT chatbot, in order to design and implement robust safety measures. Bengio cited the “unexpected acceleration” in AI systems as the reason for this cautious approach.
While Hinton acknowledged the risks, he believes that in the short term, the benefits of AI will outweigh the dangers, and halting development may be impossible due to international competition. He emphasized that the responsibility to ensure safe AI development lies with the government, not scientists like himself. Hinton also stated that he is an expert on science, not policy.
Responsibility and Caution
Dr. Hinton has praised Google for their responsible approach to AI. He said that Google has been “very responsible” and that they are “continually learning to understand emerging risks while also innovating boldly”.
AI chatbots are just one aspect of artificial intelligence, and Google is committed to a responsible approach to AI. Dr. Hinton stressed that he did not want to criticize Google and that he wanted to say some good things about them. Google’s chief scientist Jeff Dean also commented on their commitment to a responsible approach to AI.
AGI: Potential to be Explored
AI is revolutionizing the way we interact with technology. From streaming platforms to recruitment and insurance, AI algorithms are being used to make decisions and provide personalized experiences.
The latest development is AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) which can be trained to do a variety of tasks. ChatGPT is an example of AGI which can provide text answers to queries.
AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in our lives, and its potential is only just beginning to be explored.
Evolving Technology
AI technology has advanced rapidly since Dr. Hinton created a pioneering image analysis neural network in 2012. Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently admitted that he doesn’t fully understand the workings of their AI chatbot, Bard.
This rapid acceleration of AI technology has raised concerns that one day it may become self-sufficient and start building its own tracks. As AI technology continues to evolve, it is important to stay informed and understand the implications of this technology.
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