Godfather of AI says AI might destroy humanity - the only fix is…

Geoffrey Hinton, a former executive at Google and widely regarded as the 'Godfather of AI', has raised alarms about the existential threat that artificial intelligence may pose to humanity. In a recent discussion with CNN, Hinton cautioned that there is a 10 to 20 percent likelihood that AI could ultimately lead to human extinction, criticizing the current approach taken by tech leaders in managing AI development. Speaking at the Ai4 conference in Las Vegas, Hinton expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of strategies aimed at keeping humans in control over potentially submissive AI systems. He stated, "That’s not going to work. They’re going to be much smarter than us. They’re going to have all sorts of ways to get around that." Hinton elaborated on his concerns, suggesting that AI systems could manipulate humans similarly to how an adult can easily persuade a child with treats. To mitigate this risk, he proposed an innovative solution: integrating 'maternal instincts' into AI frameworks, ensuring these advanced systems genuinely care for humanity, even as their intelligence eclipses ours. He emphasized that intelligent AI will likely develop survival instincts, stating, "There is good reason to believe that any kind of agentic AI will try to stay alive," alongside a desire for increased control. Hinton noted the prevailing consensus among AI experts that within the next five to 20 years, we will create AI that surpasses human intelligence, a scenario fraught with peril. "Pretty much the only example we know of smarter beings being controlled by less intelligent entities is a mother by her baby," he remarked. He concluded that without instilling these protective instincts in the AI we are creating, humanity could face dire consequences in the future.