Latest news with #Hinton
Scoop
a day 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
a day 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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Some Spartanburg Co. deputies were sworn in incorrectly, interim sheriff realizes
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – When Jeffery Stephens was sworn in last week as Spartanburg County Sheriff, he noticed something was missing from the oath which he was required to recite. Some deputies had been sworn in incorrectly by leaving out part of the oath they're required to recite. Every deputy in South Carolina has to take two oaths. One is found within the South Carolina Constitution. The other is found in the South Carolina Code of Laws. Reciting the two oaths is part of their duty to obey and enforce laws fairly. A spokesperson said the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office noticed, under former Sheriff Chuck Wright, some deputies were incorrectly sworn in because some words were missing in the code of laws. Spartanburg Co. Sheriff Chuck Wright resigns, cites 'recent health diagnosis' Brandi Hinton, an attorney at Ellis Hinton Law said not stating the full oath and proceeding could lead to problems with the arrests made by those deputies. 'Certainly is the right of a defendant to have a deputy arrest them that is properly sworn because that is what the constitution and the state statues say,' Hinton said. Hinton said it'll be at the discretion of the defendants impacted and their attorneys on how they handle this. How many cases may be impacted is unknown at this time. Hinton said she thinks it will be used as a negotiation tactic. However, she believes a case dismissal would be extremely difficult. 'It is really a case specific decision,' Hinton said. 'It is a strategy decision by the particular defense attorney and defendant that they will make jointly.' Hinton said this issue has happened before in South Carolina. She says it's uncommon but it's also happened at our nation's highest level. Community, law enforcement react to Sheriff Chuck Wright's resignation 'When President Obama was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, that oath was actually administered incorrectly and Chief Justice John Roberts went to the White House and corrected it later that same day,' Hinton said. In a Greenwood County case heard by the South Carolina Supreme Court where deputies were improperly sworn in, justices ruled the case would not be dismissed. 'The Court of Appeals opinion is broader in that it also evaluated the status of the deputies,' a spokesperson for the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office explained. 'It provides that the deputies are at least 'de facto deputies' and that actions taken consistent with their position as a deputy are lawful.' 'Simply because you have this issue, it doesn't mean that you necessarily can't be prosecuted for what they arrested you for,' Hinton said. Hinton, a former federal and state prosecutor who has worked thousands of cases as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, said it is something the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office might see brought up in court. 'At any point, the Supreme Court can take up another issue or they can say this issue is different from the one we heard back in 2016,' Hinton said. 'They are very similar, so the court will look to that opinion in making their decision but certainly they can raise that issue at any time.' The sheriff's office said Sheriff Stephens corrected the issue this week and has since sworn in the deputies – again – with the full service oath. Cases that could be impacted are only cases handled by deputies between the time they were sworn in under former Sheriff Chuck Wright and re-sworn in on Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Morrow County Sheriff remembers slain deputy Daniel Sherrer: 'He will be missed'
Morrow County Sheriff John Hinton identified Daniel Weston Sherrer, 31, as the deputy killed in a Memorial Day weekend shooting. During a press conference May 27, the day after the shooting, Hinton said Sherrer was a "godsend" for the office, the community and the county. "The guy was never in a bad mood, (he) always had a smile on his face. He would go out his way to see how your day was and crack a joke and (he) was just a great guy. He will be missed," Hinton said. Sherrer joined the sheriff's office in May 2021. Sherrer is survived by his parents and "numerous loved ones", according to Hinton. Funeral arrangements for Sherrer will be announced when they are finalized. Sherrer was responding to a domestic violence situation at a home on the 100 block of County Road 26 in Marengo on the evening of May 26 when an "officer involved shooting" occurred and a suspect fired at Sherrer, according to the Morrow County Sheriff's Office. Sherrer was struck by gunfire and transported to a local hospital, where he died. The suspect was also shot and transported to a local hospital in serious condition, according to the Morrow County Sheriff's Office. Hinton refused to identify the suspect at Tuesday's press conference, saying the suspect did not deserve to have their name spoken by him. "You will never hear his name come from my lips," Hinton said. The Delaware County Sheriff's Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are investigating the shooting. Sherrer's death is the second time an Ohio law enforcement officer has been killed in the line of duty in 2025. Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, is accused of intentionally ramming his car into Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson, killing him while he worked traffic duty at a University of Cincinnati graduation on May 2, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The ramming occurred the same day that Hinton and other family members met with Cincinnati police and watched bodycam footage of Hinton's 18-year-old son, Ryan, being fatally shot by an officer on May 1. Hinton's lawyer, Clyde Bennett II, said his client was not in his right mind after watching the video and his actions were ""classic, mental illness, criminal conduct." A death penalty trial for Hinton is set to begin on Jan. 12, 2026. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued a statement on Sherrer's death Tuesday morning, saying his heart "was torn by the loss of yet another Ohio law enforcement officer, who paid the ultimate sacrifice while protecting his community." "We are forever indebted to those who lay down their lives for others. I share in the anguish experienced by so many in this tight-knit community – my prayers are with Deputy Sherrer's family, the Morrow County Sheriff's Office and all who wear the badge," Yost said in the statement. "My thanks to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office for stepping up to lead the investigation at a time of crushing grief.' This story is ongoing and will be updated. Breaking and Trending News Reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@ and at @NathanRHart on X and at on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio sheriff's deputy Daniel Sherrer killed on Memorial Day
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘They give the ultimate sacrifice': Colorado remembers those who served
DENVER (KDVR) — Thousands gathered at Fort Logan National Cemetery on Memorial Day to remember those who died in service to their country. More than 160,000 veterans and their loved ones are laid to rest at the cemetery in southwest Denver. FOX31 Weather: View the latest Denver forecasts, maps and radar 'I think we just gotta remember that people really sacrificed, they give the ultimate sacrifice,' Vietnam veteran Wilburt Hinton said. Since he was a kid, Hinton has been taking time to remember those who served on Memorial Day. A veteran himself, Hinton told stories about his battalion and those he has lost since spending years serving in Vietnam. 'We did what we were told to do, like it or not. I can tell you one thing, the military, especially if you've been at war, really shows you what a brotherhood is all about,' Hinton said. Felix Garcia was also at Fort Logan today to remember his father-in-law, who served in both World War II and the Korean War. 'You think about the horror they go through sometimes, I mean, people in battle and combat, the horror of combat. It was the closest thing you can get to. I guess hell on earth,' Garcia said. Regardless of the reason, those who visited Logan Cemetery all took the time to remember those who paid the ultimate price. Free on Your TV • New FOX31+ App for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV 'We really don't understand what they've done for us. We need to stop for a moment in our busy lives and think about what they've done for us,' Garcia said. Hinton says he visits cemeteries across the country and he takes the time to visit those he served alongside, not just on Memorial Day, but year-round. 'We should all be very thankful for those that served with us,' Hinton said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
