Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, a renowned artificial intelligence researcher and pioneer, announced his departure from Google in order to freely express his concerns about the potential harm that artificial intelligence might inflict upon the world. Hinton has worked at Google for over a decade and is considered one of the most respected voices in the field.
On Monday, he joined an increasing number of critics who argue that companies like Google are recklessly pushing forward with generative artificial intelligence development – technology responsible for popular chatbots such as ChatGPT. Industry insiders believe these new AI systems could be as transformative as the introduction of web browsers in the early 1990s, leading to breakthroughs in various fields including drug research and education.
In March, after San Francisco-based OpenAI released a new version of ChatGPT, more than 1,000 technology experts and researchers signed an open letter calling for a six-month moratorium on developing new systems due to their "profound risks to society and humanity." Just days later, 19 current and former leaders from The Association for Advancement of Artificial Intelligence issued their own letter warning about similar dangers.
Hinton's decision comes amid growing concerns that advanced AI is already surpassing human capabilities in certain areas; fears exist that it may spiral out-of-control if systems gain abilities such as creating or running their own computer code or controlling weapons without human intervention.
Last month, Dr. Hinton informed Google executives about his intention to resign and personally spoke with CEO Sundar Pichai last Thursday. He had been splitting time between roles at University of Toronto where he served as professor since 2013 while also working as engineering fellow at Google.
Hinton warns against rapid acceleration within technological innovation presented by major tech corporations like Microsoft, Amazon ,and Apple which could lead internet users into confusion amidst false information created by advanced language models.
Countries have begun to take notice of the escalating technological capabilities, demanding selective control over data used for AI training. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes that people should feel a sense of unease about these advancements, urging the public to remain cautious and vigilant with regard to AI's potential dangers.
Hinton's warning comes in tandem with calls from over 1,000 tech experts for a pause on further development of advanced artificial intelligence systems due to their "profound risks to society and humanity." With a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence spanning 45 years ago, Hinton has expressed some regrets concerning his life's work as he highlights near-term risks such as job losses and fake photos or videos that appear genuine.
The most advanced large language model (LLM), GPT-4 from startup OpenAI, is an example of rapidly advancing technology that has gone viral since the launch of chatbot ChatGPT late last year. As more experts like Dr. Geoffrey Hinton join this growing chorus voicing concerns about unchecked innovation within artificial intelligence research and development, it remains crucial for industry leaders and policymakers alike to seriously consider implementing appropriate oversight measures and regulations.