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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
‘Godfather of AI' slams tech companies for ignoring dangers of AI, hails one leader who is doing it right
Geoffrey Hinton, popularly known as the 'Godfather of AI,' has raised serious concerns about the unchecked pace of artificial intelligence (AI) development and some of the major tech companies not acknowledging its dangers. In a recent episode of the One Decision podcast, Hinton criticised corporate leaders for publicly minimising the risks associated with AI, despite being well aware of them behind closed doors. 'Many of the people in big companies, I think, are downplaying the risk publicly. People like Demis, for example, really do understand the risks and really want to do something about it,' Hinton said in the podcast. He further emphasised on how AI systems are evolving at an alarming rate, in ways that even researchers don't understand completely. 'The rate at which they've started working now is way beyond what anybody expected,' he added. Hinton also expressed regret for not recognising the potential dangers of AI earlier in his career. 'I should have realized much sooner what the eventual dangers were going to be. I always thought the future was far off and I wish I had thought about safety sooner,' he admitted. Hinton quit Google in 2023 after more than a decade with the company. While his exit was seen as a protest against the tech giant's aggressive AI inclusion, he refuted the claims during the podcast. 'There's a wonderful story that the media loves, this honest scientist who wanted to tell the truth so I had to leave Google. It's a myth,' he said. 'I left Google because I was 75 and I couldn't program effectively anymore, but when I left, maybe I could talk about all these risks more freely.' He acknowledged that staying at a company like Google would have naturally imposed limits on what he could say publicly. 'You can't take their money and then not be influenced by what's in their own interest,' Hinton added. Hinton further hailed Demis Hassabis, co-founder of DeepMind and current head of Google DeepMind, as one of the few leaders who understands the risks of advanced AI and is actively working to address them. Hassabis sold DeepMind to Google in 2014 and has long been vocal about the risks of AI. In an earlier interview with CNN, he expressed concern not about layoffs by big companies but about the potential for the technology to be weaponised. 'A bad actor could repurpose those same technologies for a harmful end. And so one big thing is how do we restrict access to these systems, powerful systems, to bad actors but enable good actors to do many, many amazing things with it?' Hassabis told CNN.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
AI Godfather Geoffrey Hinton Urges Caution as Tech Giants Downplay AI Risks
Renowned artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, often called the 'Godfather of AI,' has voiced strong concerns over the rapid and unchecked evolution of artificial intelligence systems. In a recent episode of the One Decision podcast, Hinton criticized major tech companies for publicly downplaying the serious risks associated with advanced AI development. "Many of the people in big companies, I think, are downplaying the risk publicly," Hinton stated during the conversation. He singled out Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind, as one of the few leaders in the field who 'really do understand the risks and really want to do something about it.' Hinton's remarks come at a time when AI capabilities are accelerating at an extraordinary pace. He warned that these systems are not only becoming increasingly intelligent but are also starting to learn in ways that humans can't fully comprehend. 'The rate at which they've started working now is way beyond what anybody expected,' he said. In 2024, Hinton was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics along with John J. Hopfield for their groundbreaking work on artificial neural networks, which laid the foundation for today's generative AI and deep learning technologies. Yet, Hinton now finds himself reflecting on the unintended consequences of these advancements. 'I should have realized much sooner what the eventual dangers were going to be,' Hinton admitted. 'I always thought the future was far off and I wish I had thought about safety sooner.' Hinton spent over a decade at Google before stepping down in 2023. His resignation sparked widespread speculation that he was protesting against the company's aggressive AI strategies. However, he set the record straight in the podcast, saying the media narrative around his departure was overblown. 'There's a wonderful story that the media loves — this honest scientist who wanted to tell the truth so I had to leave Google. It's a myth,' Hinton explained. 'I left Google because I was 75 and I couldn't program effectively anymore, but when I left, maybe I could talk about all these risks more freely.' He further elaborated on the challenges of remaining objective while being employed by a tech giant. 'You can't take their money and then not be influenced by what's in their own interest,' he said. In the same discussion, Hinton praised Demis Hassabis, founder of DeepMind — acquired by Google in 2014 — for his commitment to AI safety. Hassabis, who now leads AI research at Google, has frequently raised alarms about the misuse of powerful AI tools. In an earlier interview with CNN, Hassabis expressed his own worries about AI, not in terms of job displacement, but in regard to potential misuse by malicious actors. 'A bad actor could repurpose those same technologies for a harmful end,' Hassabis said. 'And so one big thing is how do we restrict access to these systems, powerful systems, to bad actors but enable good actors to do many, many amazing things with it?' As the AI landscape continues to evolve, Hinton's message is clear — greater transparency, responsibility, and proactive safety measures are critical to ensuring AI serves humanity without unforeseen consequences.
India Today
3 days ago
- Business
- India Today
AI godfather warns tech giants are downplaying AI risks, says only DeepMind's Demis Hassabis gets it
Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as the 'Godfather of AI,' is raising concerns about the rapid development of AI and the fact that major technology companies are downplaying its dangers. Speaking on the One Decision podcast, Hinton said many corporate leaders are aware of the risks but are avoiding taking meaningful action. 'Many of the people in big companies, I think, are downplaying the risk publicly,' Hinton said. 'People like Demis, for example, really do understand the risks and really want to do something about it.'advertisementHinton, who is also a Nobel Laureate, was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics alongside John J. Hopfield for their work on artificial neural networks. In fact Hinton's decade-long research paved the way for today's rapid advancement in artificial intelligence. However, he is now warning that advanced AI systems are becoming smarter and smarter and are even learning in ways humans don't fully understand. 'The rate at which they've started working now is way beyond what anybody expected,' he also admitted that he regrets not recognizing these dangers earlier in his career: 'I should have realized much sooner what the eventual dangers were going to be. I always thought the future was far off and I wish I had thought about safety sooner.' Hinton left Google in 2023 after more than a decade at the company. His departure was widely interpreted as his protest against its aggressive AI push. However in the podcast Hinton clarified that this narrative was not true and instead exaggerated. 'There's a wonderful story that the media loves this honest scientist who wanted to tell the truth so I had to leave Google. It's a myth,' Hinton said. 'I left Google because I was 75 and I couldn't program effectively anymore but when I left, maybe I could talk about all these risks more freely.'He added that staying at Google would have inevitably meant some level of self-censorship. 'You can't take their money and then not be influenced by what's in their own interest,' he the podcast, Hinton also spoke about Demis Hassabis and praised hims as one of the few leaders who 'really wants to do something about' the risks of AI. Hassabis, who sold DeepMind to Google in 2014 now heads its AI research arm. While he talks about their development, he has also long expressed concern about the potential misuse of advanced AI this year, in an interview with CNN, Hassabis admitted he is worried about AI. But he said he is less concerned about AI replacing jobs and more focused on the possibility that the technology could fall into the wrong hands.'A bad actor could repurpose those same technologies for a harmful end,' Hassabis told CNN's Anna Stewart. 'And so one big thing is how do we restrict access to these systems, powerful systems, to bad actors but enable good actors to do many, many amazing things with it?'- Ends
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
The Godfather of AI says most tech leaders downplay the risks — except one
The "Godfather of AI" said many people at tech companies publicly "downplay" the risks. He named one tech leader, though, who is aware of and trying to address the dangers. Geoffrey Hinton called many of the tech leaders "oligarchs." Geoffrey Hinton, the ex-Google employee known as the "Godfather of AI" for his work on neural networks, has been vocal about the risks of the technology. He said on a recent episode of the "One Decision" podcast that "most" people at tech companies understand the risks, but don't act on them. "Many of the people in big companies, I think, are downplaying the risk publicly," Hinton said on the episode, which aired on July 24. But he mentioned one tech leader who is attuned to the potential dangers of the technology. " Demis Hassabis, for example, really does understand about the risks, and really wants to do something about it," he said. Hassabis is the CEO of Google DeepMind, the company's main AI lab. He cofounded DeepMind in 2010 and sold it to Google in 2014 for $650 million, under the caveat that the tech giant would create an AI ethics board. A Nobel Prize winner, Hassabis had for years hoped that academics and scientists would lead the AI scramble. Now, he's at the center of Google's push for AI dominance, and some company insiders previously told Business Insider they think he might be in the running for CEO. In February, Hassabis said that AI poses long-term risks and warned that agentic systems could get "out of control." He has pushed for having an international governing body to regulate the technology. Late last month, protesters demonstrated outside DeepMind's London office to demand more AI transparency. Hinton spent more than a decade at Google himself before quitting to discuss the dangers of AI more openly. He said on a previous podcast episode that the company had encouraged him to stay and work on safety issues. The so-called Godfather didn't heap much praise on other Big Tech leaders — earlier in the podcast, he said that "the people who control AI, people like Musk and Zuckerberg, they are oligarchs." Representatives for Musk and Zuckerberg did not respond to BI's request for comment. And as to the question of whether he trusts them? "I think when I called them oligarchs, you know the answer to that."
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
The Godfather of AI says most tech leaders downplay the risks — except one
There doesn't seem to be much godfatherly love in the AI world these days. Geoffrey Hinton, the ex-Google employee known as the "Godfather of AI" for his work on neural networks, has been vocal about the risks of the technology. He said on a recent episode of the "One Decision" podcast that "most" people at tech companies understand the risks, but don't act on them. "Many of the people in big companies, I think, are downplaying the risk publicly," Hinton said on the episode, which aired on July 24. But he mentioned one tech leader who is attuned to the potential dangers of the technology. " Demis Hassabis, for example, really does understand about the risks, and really wants to do something about it," he said. Hassabis is the CEO of Google DeepMind, the company's main AI lab. He cofounded DeepMind in 2010 and sold it to Google in 2014 for $650 million, under the caveat that the tech giant would create an AI ethics board. A Nobel Prize winner, Hassabis had for years hoped that academics and scientists would lead the AI scramble. Now, he's at the center of Google's push for AI dominance, and some company insiders previously told Business Insider they think he might be in the running for CEO. In February, Hassabis said that AI poses long-term risks and warned that agentic systems could get "out of control." He has pushed for having an international governing body to regulate the technology. Late last month, protesters demonstrated outside DeepMind's London office to demand more AI transparency. Hinton spent more than a decade at Google himself before quitting to discuss the dangers of AI more openly. He said on a previous podcast episode that the company had encouraged him to stay and work on safety issues. The so-called Godfather didn't heap much praise on other Big Tech leaders — earlier in the podcast, he said that "the people who control AI, people like Musk and Zuckerberg, they are oligarchs." Representatives for Musk and Zuckerberg did not respond to BI's request for comment. And as to the question of whether he trusts them? "I think when I called them oligarchs, you know the answer to that."
