Latest news with #CliftonCollege
India.com
3 days ago
- Science
- India.com
AI could wipe out human race if…: ‘Godfather of AI' gives chilling warning about AGI, says only method for survival is…
Home Viral AI could wipe out human race if…: 'Godfather of AI' gives chilling warning about AGI, says only method for survival is… AI could wipe out human race if…: 'Godfather of AI' gives chilling warning about AGI, says only method for survival is… Geoffrey Hinton presented an unconventional proposal to ensure AI safety, suggesting that "maternal instincts" must be embedded into AI systems so they can learn to protect and care for human beings. (File) Renowned British-Canadian computer scientist, Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as the 'Godfather of AI', has issued a chilling warning about rapid surge of artificial intelligence, warning that super-intelligent AI or Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), has the potential to wipe out the entire human race if safety measures are not embedded within its system. Why Geoffrey Hinton believes AI could wipe out humanity? Speaking at the Ai4 conference in Las Vegas, Geoffrey Hinton presented an unconventional proposal to ensure AI safety, suggesting that 'maternal instincts' must be embedded into AI systems so they can learn to protect and care for human beings. The 77-year-old AI pioneer noted that human dominance over AI will become unviable once AI systems become more intelligent than humans, enabling them to bypass limitations imposed by their human creators. Hinton believes that any efforts to keep AI 'submissive' are doomed to fail because a super-intelligent AI will have more problem-solving capabilities and creativity than its creators. What is Hinton's 'maternal instinct' design? The Nobel laureate suggested that the design of AI system must be inspired by the relationship humans share with their offspring, noting that integrating the 'maternal care' instinct would enable AI to become naturally inclined towards the care and protection of human beings, and such systems would be less likely act against interests of the human race. 'Super- intelligent caring AI mothers, most of them won't want to get rid of the maternal instinct because they don't want us to die,' Geoffrey Hinton said, arguing that his model could be more sustainable than rigid control measures which AI is bound to escape from as it becomes more intelligent. The celebrated AI scientist also updated his timeline for the emergence of an AGI, predicting that such an entity could now become a reality within the next five to twenty years, based on the current speed of development and advancements in the field . Who is Geoffrey Hinton? Geoffrey Everest Hinton is a British-Canadian computer scientist and cognitive psychologist, known for his groundbreaking work on artificial neural networks, which earned him the title 'Godfather of AI'. A brilliant student since his early years, Hinton joined the Clifton College in Bristol and then the famed King's College in Cambridge. In an interview, Hinton revealed he was unsure which course he wanted to take and kept changing subjects between natural science, history of art and philosophy, finally earning a Bachelors degree in experimental psychology in 1970. Eight years later, Hinton received a doctorate (PhD) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 1978 from the University of Edinburgh, and started tenure at the University of Sussex. However, Geoffrey Hinton found fund hard to come by and moved to the United States where he worked at the the University of California, San Diego and Carnegie Mellon University. Hinton was also the founding director of the Gatsby Charitable Foundation Computational Neuroscience Unit at University College London. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest Viral News on
Time of India
4 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Who is Geoffrey Hinton? The ‘godfather of AI' who went from studying psychology at Cambridge to becoming a Nobel-winning scientist
Geoffrey Hinton's journey to becoming one of the most celebrated figures in artificial intelligence was neither linear nor conventional. From his early academic restlessness at Cambridge to his groundbreaking research in Canada and eventual recognition with a Nobel Prize, Hinton's career reflects both the evolution of AI and the persistence required to challenge scientific orthodoxy. Early life and education in England Born on December 6, 1947, in Wimbledon, England, Hinton was educated at Clifton College in Bristol. In 1967, he entered King's College, Cambridge, where he explored a wide range of subjects before committing to experimental psychology. His undergraduate years were marked by intellectual curiosity and frequent changes in academic direction, shifting between natural sciences, history of art, and philosophy before settling on the study of the mind. He graduated in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in experimental psychology. Rather than immediately pursue further studies, Hinton took an unexpected detour — apprenticing as a carpenter for a year. This break from academia proved temporary, as his interest in the workings of the mind and the potential of machines to mimic human cognition drew him back to university life. A PhD in artificial intelligence at Edinburgh In 1972, Hinton began doctoral research at the University of Edinburgh, focusing on artificial intelligence. His work was supervised by Christopher Longuet-Higgins, a leading figure in cognitive science. At the time, the AI field was dominated by symbolic approaches, which relied on explicit rules and logic, while neural networks — models inspired by the brain — were still considered fringe science. Hinton completed his PhD in 1978, cementing his commitment to neural networks despite the lack of widespread support for the approach. Moving abroad in search of research opportunities Funding limitations in the UK forced Hinton to look overseas. He moved to the United States, taking research positions at the University of California, San Diego, and later Carnegie Mellon University. In these roles, he advanced early work on neural networks, contributing to the revival of the approach that would decades later dominate AI research. Establishing an AI hub in Canada In 1987, Hinton relocated to Canada to join the University of Toronto as a professor. That same year, he became a fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), where he helped establish the Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception program. This initiative brought together leading minds in AI, including Yoshua Bengio and Yann LeCun, fostering collaborations that would transform the field. His Toronto lab became a training ground for a generation of AI researchers who went on to lead influential projects worldwide. Breakthroughs in deep learning Hinton's contributions over the decades have been pivotal. In the 1980s, he co-invented the Boltzmann machine, an early neural network model. Later, his work with David Rumelhart and Ronald J. Williams helped popularise the backpropagation algorithm for training deep networks. A landmark moment came in 2012, when Hinton and his graduate students Alex Krizhevsky and Ilya Sutskever developed AlexNet, a deep convolutional neural network that dramatically outperformed competitors in the ImageNet challenge. This breakthrough demonstrated the power of deep learning for image recognition and triggered a global surge in AI research and investment. From academia to Google and back In 2012, Hinton co-founded DNN research Inc., which was acquired by Google in 2013. For the next decade, he split his time between Google Brain and the University of Toronto, furthering research in machine learning and mentoring top AI talent. Global recognition and shift to advocacy Hinton's achievements have been widely recognised. He shared the 2018 ACM A.M. Turing Award with Bengio and LeCun for their work on deep learning, received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics with John Hopfield, and was honoured with the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. In 2023, Hinton resigned from Google to focus on raising awareness about AI's potential risks. His advocacy highlights the need for international cooperation on AI safety, addressing concerns such as misuse by malicious actors, job displacement, and the challenge of controlling systems more intelligent than humans. A career that shaped the AI era Geoffrey Hinton's career is a testament to the power of persistence and intellectual curiosity. From a Cambridge psychology student to a Nobel-winning scientist, he has not only advanced the frontiers of artificial intelligence but also helped shape the global conversation on its future. His work continues to influence both the technical direction of AI research and the ethical framework within which it must evolve. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
NDTV
10-08-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Who Is Senuran Muthusamy? Meet South Africa's Indian Origin Star Who Once Dismissed Virat Kohli On His Debut
Senuran Muthusamy was at his brilliant best for South Africa in the T20I series-opener against Australia in Darwin on Sunday. Playing just his fourth T20I, the 31-year-old returned figures of 1/24 to cap off a brilliant bowling performance. The all-rounder dismissed the dangerous Josh Inglis for a duck after South Africa opted to bowl in the capital of Australia's Northern Territory. His spell helped South Africa restrict Australia to 178 in 20 overs, despite Tim David 's 52-ball 83. Chasing 179, South Africa were restricted to 161/9, as Australia won the match by 17 runs. Who is Senuran Muthusamy? Senuran Muthusamy was born on 22 February 1994 in Durban, Natal Province, South Africa to parents of Indian origin. However, he maintains a strong connection to his Tamil heritage, with some of his family members still residing in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. He completed his schooling at Clifton College, before he went on to pursue a bachelor's degree in social science from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, specialising in media and marketing. Muthusamy was introduced to cricket at a very young age while growing up in Durban, where he began to impress in local tournaments and school matches. He played for the Kwa-Zulu Natal province from Under-11 to Under-19 level, but remained hesitant to believe he could turn professional. However, his commitment to improving his game led him to represent South Africa at the Under-19 level. In 2015-16, he was signed by the Dolphins as a top-order batter ahead of the season. Despite smashing a career-best 181 against the Knights in January 2017, he time as a top-order batter was shortlived. "His batting just dropped off a bit but his bowling went to another level," Imraan Khan, Muthusamy's former team-mate, told ESPNcricinfo in 2019. Muthusamy impressive show with the ball earned him a debut Test call up for the away series in India, where he went on to make his first appearance during a game in Visakhapatnam. In the match, he took his first Test match wicket, dismissing none other than the then India skipper Virat Kohli, caught and bowled. However, Muthusamy has struggled to solidify his place in the team, owing to fierce competition in the South African cricket landscape, with the likes of Keshav Maharaj showing no signs of slowing down. Muthusamy was part of South Africa's WTC 2025 winning squad, but didn't feature in the match.
The Courier
14-05-2025
- General
- The Courier
Tribute to David Merrie: Blairgowrie man who ‘lived breathed and loved' nature dies aged 89
Blairgowrie resident David Merrie, who passed away on the morning of April 9 after a short stay in Ninewells Hospital, is being remembered as a passionate adventurer and outdoorsman who 'lived breathed and loved' the natural world all his days. David, who was 89, fought old age and failing health with courage and determination after a life filled striding the hills with his binoculars, cycling the glens and many an outdoor adventure. Fittingly, his final resting place is a natural burial in a Cairngorms birch wood close to the flora, fauna, animals and birds that he so loved. Paying tribute, daughter Tessa said her father would be remembered 'as a fountain of knowledge especially of birds and the natural world, for his great physical fitness, inventiveness, dry humour, creativity, energy and love for life.' A passionate ornithologist, he was also an engineer, mountaineer, adventurer, photographer, botanist, gardener, artist, cyclist and an enthusiastic lover of classical music and the arts. Scottish country dancing was another passion, as was curling, cooking and being a good neighbour and active member of his community. 'He was very bold – doing things that other people might just think about,' said Tessa. 'He was a birdwatcher and a keen mountaineer who did all his Munros. 'As children, he took us on so many adventures – camping and walking in the Highlands and to the west coast. It is a priceless legacy. We loved him very much and will miss him greatly'. Born in Bristol where he grew up during the war, David's passion for studying wildlife was inspired by his grandad and mum. Winning a scholarship to Clifton College, his school encouraged his interests in nature too, allowing him to help with the creation of an herbarium. David and his good friend William took up birdwatching and would cycle up to 100 miles in a day on birdwatching trips. He went on to study mechanical engineering at Peter House, Cambridge. David's interest in birds and nature continued to grow. It should be no surprise then that his life was full of trips, expeditions and travelling to explore the natural world. He first visited the west coast of Scotland, travelling by bus at the age of 20, equipped only with a blanket roll and tarp and no knowledge of midges. Despite that, he fell in love with the country, moving to work in Glasgow with Barr & Stroud initially. He commuted from Cardross where there was less smog. In 1963 he met Heddy, a Dutch nurse. She was working in Scotland and staying with friends in Helensburgh when they met in a pub. They both loved the outdoors. But to be sure, they spent a night in an abandoned eagle's eyrie and then one in a tent on the windiest point of the Mull of Kintyre before he proposed. They married in Wassenaar in Holland in 1964, going on to have two children. They were well matched, sharing interests, intelligence and a sense of adventure. David was in Glasgow until 1967 before moving to work with BP at Grangemouth. The family lived in the basement of Airth Castle for nine months before moving to Dollar where they lived for 10 years. Later David's work took the family to Aberdeenshire. In the 1970s he was involved with golden eagle surveys, helping to raise awareness amongst landowners and conserve the species. He also founded the Stirling branch of the Ornithologists Club. He used to give bird talks and lessons to people. David's biggest project was to build artificial islands for Red and Black Throated Divers, to stop the decline of the population on the west coast. The first islands were built in 1977 and they are still being built and maintained today. He co-established the North Sea Bird Club which ran for 40 years. Surveys were done of the migrating birds landing on oil rigs. After Aberdeen he lived and worked in Egypt for 2.5 years, returned to Glasgow for a time. Then in 1987 they got a cottage in Perthshire, near Blairgowrie, before moving to Craigie where he'd been since 1995, using it as a base to further explore. He even appeared in The Courier in 2019 calling for an investigation into a 'plague of flies'. Daughter Tessa said she and brother Arend were grateful to their dad for passing on to them both, and to his grandchildren Izzie and Rory, inquisitive minds and a love of adventure. 'Holidays were enjoyable expeditions, from camping in the campervan to walking in the mountains of Scotland and later Switzerland and The Pyrenees and beyond,' she said. David's adventures included a seven day trek across one of the more remote parts of Scotland, eating mainly Ryvita, completing 13 Munros and arriving home seven days later, and 7kg lighter. On another occasion, with a friend, he rowed a rubber dingy across Rannoch Moor, hauling it from loch to loch, capturing sunsets, birdlife and the wildflowers in photos. On a family trip to the Pyrenees, after trialling the tent in the Cairngorms and plotting the intended route on a map with minimal contour markings, they found themselves unexpectedly on a 1000ft cliff ledge at one point. David was enthusiastic about his adventures and explorations, and he was supportive too of those of others, including his children. Retirement and old age never daunted David who continued to adventure with trips round the world. He cycled his bike until he replaced it with an electric bike at the youthful age of 84, cycling up to 50 miles a day. He was also a member of Blairgowrie ProBus Club, walking with them until last year. In this final year of his life, David kept going in the face of pain and discomfort, one day making it all the way up to Pinecone viewpoint above Dunkeld with his walker. Family take comfort from knowing he lived a full and inspirational life, working hard and passing on to others his incredible enthusiasm for the world around him. David, who is predeceased by his wife Heddy, is survived by his children Tessa and Arend and grandchildren Izzie and Rory.
