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AI 'Godfather' Warns of 10% to 20% Risk of Humanity's Extinction in 30 Years, Calls for Government Regulation

Dec 28, 2024, 05:14 PM

Geoffrey Hinton, a British-Canadian computer scientist often referred to as the 'Godfather of AI,' has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to the extinction of humanity within the next 30 years. Hinton, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics this year, has revised his estimate of the risk from 10% to between 10% and 20%, citing the rapid pace of AI development. He expressed these concerns during an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, emphasizing the need for careful and thoughtful development of AI due to its potential dangers. Hinton highlighted that AI could eventually become more intelligent than humans, likening future human-AI relations to that of a three-year-old child compared to an adult. He stressed the importance of government regulation to ensure the safe development of AI, warning that without it, the technology could be misused by 'bad actors' and pose an existential threat to humanity.