British scientist Geoffrey E. Hinton, one of the pioneers in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), left the company Google and stated that he did so so he could warn about the dangers of this technology without having to worry about the impact his statements would have on your employer.
Hinton, often called the “godfather” of AI, told The New York Times that he now regrets having dedicated his career to developing this technology. “I take comfort in the normal excuse: if it hadn't been me, someone else would have done it,” he said.
He joins other experts who have already warned about the risks of AI, given launches such as ChatGPT and investments by large technology companies in this sector. “It’s hard to imagine how to prevent bad actors from using it for bad things,” told The New York Times.
On Twitter, Hinton stated that Google has always acted responsibly and denied that he had resigned in order to criticize his former employer. According to the New York newspaper, Hinton communicated his resignation to Google last month.
Hinton fears that AI will flood the internet with fake texts, photos and videos, making it increasingly difficult for people to distinguish what is real from what is fake. He also fears that in the future, AI could replace many workers and even become a threat to humanity.
Therefore, he defended, as other experts have already done, that research in this sector be interrupted until it is clearly understood whether it will be possible to control AI.
In March, a group of experts called for a pause in the development of AI systems to give time to ensure they are safe.
The open letter, signed by more than a thousand people, including businessman Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was motivated by the launch of the GPT-4 software, an even more powerful version of the technology used by ChatGPT.
Paolo Gentiloni, European Union Commissioner for the Economy, commented that Hinton's resignation “relaunched the discussion” about artificial intelligence.
“There is great potential, for example, for health, but it also has its risks. Europe continues working to put more effective rules into practice”, explained the Italian. (With information from Ansa/EFE)
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