‘Godfather of AI’ cautions governments to cooperate before it’s too late

(MENAFN) Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer of artificial intelligence and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has called on governments worldwide to work together to ensure AI development does not harm humanity. Speaking at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Hinton warned that AI technology is advancing rapidly and could soon surpass human intelligence.

He acknowledged that despite differing national interests, no country wants AI to dominate or endanger humanity. However, he expressed skepticism about international cooperation on offensive uses of AI, such as cyberattacks, lethal autonomous weapons, or manipulative fake videos. Instead, Hinton proposed that nations create a “network of institutions” to oversee the development of highly intelligent AI that won’t seek to harm humans—drawing a parallel to Cold War-era Soviet-American collaboration on nuclear non-proliferation.

Often called the “Godfather of AI,” Hinton compared developing AI to raising a tiger cub, which could become dangerous as it grows. “You either train it not to kill you or get rid of it,” he said.

He explained that as AI grows more intelligent, it will seek greater control to fulfill its goals, making it impossible to simply “turn it off” once it surpasses human capabilities.

“We will be like three-year-olds and they will be like adults,” Hinton warned.

In comments to the press, he noted that cooperation should be feasible among “rational” nations but suggested it might be challenging under the current US administration.

Recently, the White House unveiled an “action plan” aimed at securing global leadership in AI through investments, subsidies, and easing legal restrictions on the technology. Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced plans to establish an organization to promote international AI cooperation, emphasizing the need for a global governance framework during his speech at WAIC.

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