‘Godfather of AI’ warns of AI’s dangers

Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as one of the “godfathers” of artificial intelligence (AI), urged policymakers to address the technology’s risks during a forum at Georgetown University on Nov. 18. He joined Sen. Bernie Sanders to warn that rapid advancements could lead to widespread job displacement and the proliferation of autonomous weapons systems that operate without human oversight.

Hinton dedicated a significant portion of the hour-long discussion to dismantle the narrative pushed by AI advocates that technological revolutions always result in a net gain of employment opportunities. He recently made a similar warning that capitalism will drive AI to replace workers and generate massive unemployment in a relentless pursuit of profit.

He argued that general purpose AI differs from previous tools because it competes with human intelligence rather than just physical labor. “The people who lose their jobs won’t have other jobs to go to,” Hinton stated.

Hinton explained the finality of this displacement by noting that “if AI gets as smart as people or smarter then any job they might do can be done by AI.” Senator Sanders amplified this concern by questioning the motives of the billionaires currently steering the industry. “Are these people staying up nights worrying about working-class people and low-income people?” Sanders asked the students in attendance. “Probably not.”

The conversation turned toward the military applications of AI where Hinton provided a grim assessment of lethal autonomous weapons. He warned that replacing human soldiers with robotic systems would remove the political cost of casualties that typically deters aggression.

“I think it will remove one of the main barriers to rich powerful countries just invading little countries like Granada,” Hinton said. He suggested that without the risk of dead soldiers to cause domestic backlash, major powers would be incentivized to wage endless wars using expendable machines.

The discussion also addressed the collapse of a shared objective reality, with Hinton expressing skepticism that technical detectors could ever keep pace with the sophistication of AI-generated fakes and argued instead for heavy regulation and public education.

Senator Sanders framed the issue as a political struggle rather than a purely technological one. “The fundamental issue is not whether AI is good or bad,” Sanders told the crowd. “It is who controls it and who benefits from it.”