AI 'Godfather' Geoffrey Hinton resigns from Google to speak about its risks

Amid rising concerns and fast development of human-like artificial intelligence technology (AI) such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, a leading AI expert — usually regarded as the Godfather of AI — quits his post at Google to speak up about the dangers posed by the technology.

Geoffrey Hinton left his position at the technology giant last week. He has pioneered neural networks of AI systems widely used in technology products.

He has also contributed to the company's AI development however, he had maintained the dangers of AI since he was working at Google as the technology began to advance.

Hinton told the New York Times that "I console myself with the normal excuse: If I hadn't done it, somebody else would have."

While writing on Twitter about his decision, Hinton said he left Google so he could speak freely about the dangers of AI, rather than because of a desire to criticise Google specifically.

The Godfather of AI wrote: "I left so that I could talk about the dangers of AI without considering how this impacts Google. Google has acted very responsibly."

The chief scientist at Google Jeff Dean Said while appreciating Hinton’s years-long efforts for Google that it "has made foundational breakthroughs in AI."

In a statement to CNN, Dean said: "We remain committed to a responsible approach to AI. We're continually learning to understand emerging risks while also innovating boldly."

A crucial decision by an expert like Hinton raises alarms about how AI has been advancing at an unprecedented pace and that if it is not regulated or controlled, it would potentially disturb human civilisation.

The development of ChatGPT has forced tech giants to compete in order to survive the competition.

In March, there was also an open letter written and signed by a large number of experts including tech CEOs and experts highlighting the dangers of AI, saying it poses “profound risks to society and humanity.

Tech-billionaire and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk had also announced that he is building software way more potent than ChatGPT 4.

Hinton while speaking with NYT  he said: AI would create a world where many will “not be able to know what is true anymore,” adding special emphasis to the jobs that would be replaced by the technology.

"The idea that this stuff could actually get smarter than people — a few people believed that," Geoffrey Hinton said.

Even while in Google, the Godfather of AI said back in 2021 at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in Mumbai: "I believe that the rapid progress of AI is going to transform society in ways we do not fully understand and not all of the effects are going to be good."

He also stated about the development of lethal autonomous weapons adding that "I find this prospect much more immediate and much more terrifying than the prospect of robots taking over, which I think is a very long way off."