Making AI Headlines · Page 7
Hinton Says AI Might Not Have Been Worth Inventing, While Leaving Room for Its Promise
· New York time
Nobel-winning computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton says it could turn out that humanity would have been better off without AI. He also warned that the technology could trigger a major incident this year or next, such as a temporary blackout of financial or power systems. Hinton's warning is a prediction about possible risks, not a report that such a shutdown has occurred. The researcher, whose work on artificial neural networks helped underpin modern AI, told the Guardian he is not a doomer and believes the technology also has potential. His assessment combines concern about serious hazards with recognition that the same technology can do useful things. That combination is awkward for an industry accustomed to introducing each advance as an uncomplicated improvement. A pioneer can see both the promise and the possibility that the overall bargain may prove unfavorable. The uncertainty is the point: the outcome cannot be settled by choosing either the most optimistic presentation or the bleakest forecast. Hinton's comments carry weight because of his role in the field, though his warning remains his assessment of what could happen. The godfather of AI is not demanding that the family portrait be burned. He is asking the family to notice the electrical system before it hangs another award on the wall.
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