Latest news with #British-Canadian
Scoop
3 days ago
- Science
- Scoop
The Good, The Bad, And The Apocalypse: Tech Pioneer Geoffrey Hinton Lays Out His Stark Vision For AI
Article – RNZ It's the question that keeps Geoffrey Hinton up at night: What happens when humans are no longer the most intelligent life on the planet? , Producer – 30′ with Guyon Espiner It's the question that keeps Geoffrey Hinton up at night: What happens when humans are no longer the most intelligent life on the planet? 'My greatest fear is that, in the long run, the digital beings we're creating turn out to be a better form of intelligence than people.' Hinton's fears come from a place of knowledge. Described as the Godfather of AI, he is a pioneering British-Canadian computer scientist whose decades of work in artificial intelligence earned him global acclaim. His career at the forefront of machine learning began at its inception – before the first Pacman game was released. But after leading AI research at Google for a decade, Hinton left the company in 2023 to speak more freely about what he now sees as the grave dangers posed by artificial intelligence. Talking on this weeks's 30 With Guyon Espiner, Hinton offers his latest assessment of our AI-dominated future. One filled with promise, peril – and a potential apocalypse. The Good: 'It's going to do wonderful things for us' Hinton remains positive about many of the potential benefits of AI, especially in fields like healthcare and education. 'It's going to do wonderful things for us,' he says. According to a report from this year's World Economic Forum, the AI market is already worth around US$5 billion in education. That's expected to grow to US$112.3 billion in the next decade. Proponents like Hinton believe the benefits to education lie in targeted efficiency when it comes to student learning, similar to how AI assistance is assisting medical diagnoses. 'In healthcare, you're going to be able to have [an AI] family doctor who's seen millions of patients – including quite a few with the same very rare condition you have – that knows your genome, knows all your tests, and hasn't forgotten any of them.' He describes AI systems that already outperform doctors in diagnosing complex cases. When combined with human physicians, the results are even more impressive – a human-AI synergy he believes will only improve over time. Hinton disagrees with former colleague Demis Hassabis at Google Deepmind, who predicts AI learning is on track to cure all diseases in just 10 years. 'I think that's a bit optimistic.' 'If he said 25 years I'd believe it.' The Bad: 'Autonomous lethal weapons' Despite these benefits, Hinton warns of pressing risks that demand urgent attention. 'Right now, we're at a special point in history,' he says. 'We need to work quite hard to figure out how to deal with all the short-term bad consequences of AI, like corrupting elections, putting people out of work, cybercrimes.' He is particularly alarmed by military developments, including Google's removal of their long-standing pledge not to use AI to develop weapons of war. 'This shows,' says Hinton of his former employers, 'the company's principals were up for sale.' He believes defense departments of all major arms dealers are already busy working on 'autonomous lethal weapons. Swarms of drones that go and kill people. Maybe people of a particular kind'. He also points out the grim fact that Europe's AI regulations – some of the world's most robust – contain 'a little clause that says none of these regulations apply to military uses of AI'. Then there is AI's capacity for deception – designed as it to mimic the behaviours of its creator species. Hinton says current systems can already engage in deliberate manipulation, noting Cybercrime has surged – in just one year – by 1200 percent. The Apocalyptic: 'We'd no longer be needed' At the heart of Hinton's warning lies that deeper, existential question: what happens when we are no longer the most intelligent beings on the planet? 'I think it would be a bad thing for people – because we'd no longer be needed.' Despite the current surge in AI's military applications, Hinton doesn't envisage an AI takeover being like The Terminator franchise. 'If [AI] was going to take over… there's so many ways they could do it. I don't even want to speculate about what way [it] would choose.' 'Ask a chicken' For those who believe a rogue AI can simply be shut down by 'pulling the plug', Hinton believes it's not far-fetched for the next generation of superintelligent AI to manipulate people into keeping it alive. This month, Palisade Research reported that Open AI's Chat GPT 03 model altered shut-down codes to prevent itself from being switched off – despite being given clear instructions to do so by the research team. Perhaps most unsettling of all is Hinton's lack of faith in our ability to respond. 'There are so many bad uses as well as good,' he says. 'And our political systems are just not in a good state to deal with this coming along now.' It's a sobering reflection from one of the brightest minds in AI – whose work helped build the systems now raising alarms. He closes on a metaphor that sounds absurd as it does chilling: 'If you want to know what it's like not to be the apex intelligence, ask a chicken.' Watch the full conversation with Geoffrey Hinton and Guyon Espiner on 30 With Guyon Espiner.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Science
- Scoop
The Good, The Bad, And The Apocalypse: Tech Pioneer Geoffrey Hinton Lays Out His Stark Vision For AI
It's the question that keeps Geoffrey Hinton up at night: What happens when humans are no longer the most intelligent life on the planet? "My greatest fear is that, in the long run, the digital beings we're creating turn out to be a better form of intelligence than people." Hinton's fears come from a place of knowledge. Described as the Godfather of AI, he is a pioneering British-Canadian computer scientist whose decades of work in artificial intelligence earned him global acclaim. His career at the forefront of machine learning began at its inception - before the first Pacman game was released. But after leading AI research at Google for a decade, Hinton left the company in 2023 to speak more freely about what he now sees as the grave dangers posed by artificial intelligence. Talking on this weeks's 30 With Guyon Espiner, Hinton offers his latest assessment of our AI-dominated future. One filled with promise, peril - and a potential apocalypse. The Good: 'It's going to do wonderful things for us' Hinton remains positive about many of the potential benefits of AI, especially in fields like healthcare and education. "It's going to do wonderful things for us," he says. According to a report from this year's World Economic Forum, the AI market is already worth around US$5 billion in education. That's expected to grow to US$112.3 billion in the next decade. Proponents like Hinton believe the benefits to education lie in targeted efficiency when it comes to student learning, similar to how AI assistance is assisting medical diagnoses. "In healthcare, you're going to be able to have [an AI] family doctor who's seen millions of patients - including quite a few with the same very rare condition you have - that knows your genome, knows all your tests, and hasn't forgotten any of them." He describes AI systems that already outperform doctors in diagnosing complex cases. When combined with human physicians, the results are even more impressive - a human-AI synergy he believes will only improve over time. Hinton disagrees with former colleague Demis Hassabis at Google Deepmind, who predicts AI learning is on track to cure all diseases in just 10 years. "I think that's a bit optimistic." "If he said 25 years I'd believe it." The Bad: 'Autonomous lethal weapons' Despite these benefits, Hinton warns of pressing risks that demand urgent attention. "Right now, we're at a special point in history," he says. "We need to work quite hard to figure out how to deal with all the short-term bad consequences of AI, like corrupting elections, putting people out of work, cybercrimes." He is particularly alarmed by military developments, including Google's removal of their long-standing pledge not to use AI to develop weapons of war. "This shows," says Hinton of his former employers, "the company's principals were up for sale." He believes defense departments of all major arms dealers are already busy working on "autonomous lethal weapons. Swarms of drones that go and kill people. Maybe people of a particular kind". He also points out the grim fact that Europe's AI regulations - some of the world's most robust - contain "a little clause that says none of these regulations apply to military uses of AI". Then there is AI's capacity for deception - designed as it to mimic the behaviours of its creator species. Hinton says current systems can already engage in deliberate manipulation, noting Cybercrime has surged - in just one year - by 1200 percent. The Apocalyptic: 'We'd no longer be needed' At the heart of Hinton's warning lies that deeper, existential question: what happens when we are no longer the most intelligent beings on the planet? "I think it would be a bad thing for people - because we'd no longer be needed." Despite the current surge in AI's military applications, Hinton doesn't envisage an AI takeover being like The Terminator franchise. "If [AI] was going to take over… there's so many ways they could do it. I don't even want to speculate about what way [it] would choose." 'Ask a chicken' For those who believe a rogue AI can simply be shut down by "pulling the plug", Hinton believes it's not far-fetched for the next generation of superintelligent AI to manipulate people into keeping it alive. This month, Palisade Research reported that Open AI's Chat GPT 03 model altered shut-down codes to prevent itself from being switched off - despite being given clear instructions to do so by the research team. Perhaps most unsettling of all is Hinton's lack of faith in our ability to respond. "There are so many bad uses as well as good," he says. "And our political systems are just not in a good state to deal with this coming along now." It's a sobering reflection from one of the brightest minds in AI - whose work helped build the systems now raising alarms. He closes on a metaphor that sounds absurd as it does chilling: "If you want to know what it's like not to be the apex intelligence, ask a chicken." Watch the full conversation with Geoffrey Hinton and Guyon Espiner on 30 With Guyon Espiner.
Business Upturn
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Is ‘Malory Towers' returning for season 6? Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on May 20, 2025, 17:03 IST Fans of the beloved British-Canadian series Malory Towers are eagerly awaiting news about the future of this charming adaptation of Enid Blyton's classic boarding school novels. With its nostalgic storytelling, relatable characters, and heartfelt themes, the show has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. But is Malory Towers Season 6 happening? Here's everything we know so far about the show's next chapter. Is Malory Towers Season 6 Confirmed? Yes, Malory Towers Season 6 has been officially confirmed! The Family Channel and CBBC have renewed the series for a sixth season, delighting fans who have followed the adventures of Darrell Rivers and her friends at the iconic boarding school. Additionally, there's exciting news that Season 7 is also in the works, indicating strong confidence in the show's continued success. Filming for both Seasons 6 and 7 began in June 2024 at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location in Devon and Cornwall, suggesting that production is well underway. This dual-season filming approach hints at a robust pipeline of new episodes to keep the story alive. When Will Malory Towers Season 6 Premiere? While an exact premiere date for Season 6 has not been announced, sources indicate it is slated for release in 2025. Given that Season 5 premiered on June 10, 2024, it's reasonable to expect Season 6 to follow a similar timeline, potentially arriving in mid-2025. Fans can likely catch the new season on platforms like BBC iPlayer, BYU TV, and the Family Channel, where previous seasons are available. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is Mark Carney's wife? Meet Diana Fox Carney, the highly educated hockey player partner of Canada's prime minister
Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party won Canada's federal election on Monday, and his wife of 30 years, Diana Fox Carney, was by his side. Fox Carney, a British-Canadian economist, environmentalist and author, has been less visible on the campaign trail than Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's wife, Anaida. Still, as Canada's unofficial first lady, Fox Carney has been thrust into the spotlight all the same. Following Carney's win on election night, Fox Carney took to the podium to thank supporters for "choosing [her] husband's vision." "I've watched my husband listen and learn. I've watched him inspire confidence and take on new skills. But most of all, I've seen him remain true to what he's always been: Consistent, compassionate, loyal and driven by an exceptionally strong set of values," she said. "He's thoughtful, respectful and honest. I think and hope that you now have come to appreciate that alongside his capacity for dealing with the most serious of matters, he has a great mind for trivia, a wicked sense of humour and a wonderful smile," she told the crowd. "He's been that way since our very first date back when we were young grad students when we went to that dinner and he said to me, he stopped the conversation and he said to me, 'I want you to know that I am committed to move back to Canada and to work in the public service.'" Unlike the title and role of First Lady in the United States, as the spouse of Canada's Prime Minister, Fox Carney has no official title, office or address. However, as the prime minister's wife, she can use her position and influence to champion various causes and represent Canada in a quasi-official capacity. While she was married to Justin Trudeau, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau often spoke about women's rights, mental health issues and eating disorders. Laureen Harper, the spouse of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, once told The Globe and Mail that the prime minister's wife "can have a big role, a small role, whatever." Fox Carney grew up in rural England and is the daughter of a pig farmer. She and Carney met at the University of Oxford, where she obtained a Master of Arts degree in philosophy, politics and economics and a Master of Science degree in agricultural economics. She also holds a master of arts in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania. Fox Carney was an avid hockey player at Oxford. "[She] could run rings around everyone," teammate Nonie Dodwell told the Toronto Star. "She was an excellent skater and player, very natural." It was from the ice that Fox Carney caught the eye of the future prime minister. "Mark was watching an ice hockey game that Diana was playing in and he asked someone, 'Who's that person over there?'" longtime friend Laurie Thomson told the Toronto Star. "She was by far the best player on the team and he was impressed, I guess." The couple married a few years later. Today, her hockey allegiances are unknown, but her husband is a bonafide Edmonton Oilers superfan. Following their wedding in 1994, the couple went on to welcome four daughters: Cleo, Tess, Amelia and Sasha. Cleo, a student at Harvard University, described her dad (starting at 1:31:58) as "focused and principled" as well as "funny and kind" on election night in March 2025. In an interview with the Toronto Star, a longtime friend said Fox Carney "devoted her life to her kids." While her husband famously held roles at the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, Fox Carney is an expert economist in her own right. She specializes in developing nations, having previously served as the vice president of Canada 2020 — a think tank focused on climate, energy, social mobility and inequality — before becoming the Institute for Public Policy Research's director of strategy and engagement, according to People. Fox Carney has been on the board of several charities, including Save the Children and has acted as an advisory board member at a technology metals company and a growth equity fund investing in climate solutions, among others. "When I think of Diana, I think of someone who … cares deeply about the natural world and believes that it's our responsibility to look after it for the benefit of our children and future generations," Thomson told the Toronto Star. "That drives a lot of what she does." Fox Carney has authored two academic publications, and from 2011 to 2014, she ran a blog where she reviewed eco-friendly products. Compared to Anaida Poilievre and Gurkiran Kaur, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh's wife, the Canadian public has had less time to get to know Fox Carney. Throughout the election campaign, Fox Carney made relatively few appearances. She publicly spoke on election night, April 28, and addressed supporters in Mississauga, Ont. on April 26, but overall, has had less of a vocal presence on the campaign trail than others. In contrast, Anaida Poilievre took on an "outsized role" in her husband's campaign, attending rallies and giving speeches. Anaida Poilievre, a former political staffer and mother of two, was front and centre on her husband's campaign trail. Like her husband, she has spent most of her working life in politics, spending nearly eight years in the Senate and another seven in the House of Commons before dedicating herself fully to Pierre's campaign in 2022. She designed Pierre's merchandise, built a strong social media following and set up an online magazine titled Pretty & Smart Co. in 2019. In her own words, she has been more than "just a prop" for the Tory leader and has been a key figure in the Conservative campaign. She and Pierre share two children, Cruz and Valentina. Following the results of Monday's election, Jagmeet Singh announced he was resigning as NDP leader after losing his seat, with his wife Gurkiran Kaur, joining him on stage for the announcement. Similar to Fox Carney, Kaur has occasionally joined Singh during the campaign and, like Anaida Poilievre, has shared glimpses of the couple's life on the trail on social media. The couple met as students at York University and married in 2018. They have two children, Anhad and Dani.
ITV News
29-04-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Mark Carney's anti-Trump message leads him to victory in Canada's election
Last night, an election slogan became a dance move as Mark Carney rocked out in celebration, with his elbows up. The phrase taken from ice hockey suggests a defensive posture in which a player is also ready to fight back - a suitable metaphor for a country facing punitive tariffs and a US President who wants to annexe it. I managed to grab a couple of words with the new Canadian leader and asked in this Trumpian world of trade wars and tirades, what his message was to the UK. "Good luck," he replied with a grin as he held my arm in an apparent attempt to reassure, knowing more about the British economy and the pressure it faces from Trump's tariffs than any other Canadian politician. The former Bank of England Governor then swerved a further question about what he'd say to Donald Trump, simply replying it was "time to listen". I think he was referring to the rock band, Down with Webster, taking to the stage, but the answer may perhaps have had a second meaning when it comes to how he will deal with both the Canadian people's concerns about the cost of living and how he'll deal with the US President. Mark Carney's carefree dancing with his British-Canadian wife, Diana Fox Carney, last night was a brief moment of levity at the end of a gruelling campaign. His message on stage earlier hadn't deviated from that which he had given repeatedly to the Canadian people: Trump wants to break us so America can own us. No softening of the rhetoric then, from a leader who knows all too well the economic nightmare facing his country if the US tariffs remain. This is the first election where Trump has had a direct influence on the outcome. This was a dramatic repudiation of Trump's bullying tactics, and it may not be the last time voters react to Trump's trade war. Australia votes on Saturday, and the progressive Labour party may also benefit from an anti-Trump bump, securing another term for Anthony Albanese. Both Albanese and Carney share the same humility and easy-going character. I met and interviewed Albanese in 2022 at his official residence, Kirribilli House in Sydney, when he was riding high on strong approval ratings. Now, the occupant of the White House may once again sway voters towards the candidate they think can stand up to Trump rather than bow before him.
