Godfather of AI warns about the dangers of misinformation

[urban rednek]

Paraphrased, it goes something like this: "Yeah, so I was instrumental in developing this new technology, but now I'm not so sure it was a good idea. Could be really bad for us."

The original story is in the New York Times, hidden behind a paywall. I believe this article in The Guardian was derived from the NYT story.

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...chine-learning

‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton quits Google and warns over dangers of misinformation

The neural network pioneer says dangers of chatbots were ‘quite scary’ and warns they could be exploited by ‘bad actors’

Josh Taylor and Alex Hern
Tues. 2 May, 2023

The man often touted as the godfather of AI has quit Google, citing concerns over the flood of misinformation, the possibility for AI to upend the job market, and the “existential risk” posed by the creation of a true digital intelligence.

Dr Geoffrey Hinton, who with two of his students at the University of Toronto built a neural net in 2012, quit Google this week, as first reported by the New York Times.

Hinton, 75, said he quit to speak freely about the dangers of AI, and in part regrets his contribution to the field. He was brought on by Google a decade ago to help develop the company’s AI technology, and the approach he pioneered led the way for current systems such as ChatGPT.

He told the New York Times that until last year he believed Google had been a “proper steward” of the technology, but that changed once Microsoft started incorporating a chatbot into its Bing search engine, and the company began becoming concerned about the risk to its search business.

Some of the dangers of AI chatbots were “quite scary”, he told the BBC, warning they could become more intelligent than humans and could be exploited by “bad actors”. “It’s able to produce lots of text automatically so you can get lots of very effective spambots. It will allow authoritarian leaders to manipulate their electorates, things like that.”

But, he added, he was also concerned about the “existential risk of what happens when these things get more intelligent than us.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that the kind of intelligence we’re developing is very different from the intelligence we have,” he said. “So it’s as if you had 10,000 people and whenever one person learned something, everybody automatically knew it. And that’s how these chatbots can know so much more than any one person.”

He is not alone in the upper echelons of AI research in fearing that the technology could pose serious harm to humanity. Last month, Elon Musk said he had fallen out with the Google co-founder Larry Page because Page was “not taking AI safety seriously enough”. Musk told Fox News that Page wanted “digital superintelligence, basically a digital god, if you will, as soon as possible”.

Valérie Pisano, the chief executive of Mila – the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute – said the slapdash approach to safety in AI systems would not be tolerated in any other field. “The technology is put out there, and as the system interacts with humankind, its developers wait to see what happens and make adjustments based on that. We would never, as a collective, accept this kind of mindset in any other industrial field. There’s something about tech and social media where we’re like: ‘Yeah, sure, we’ll figure it out later,’” she said.

Hinton’s concern in the short term is something that has already become a reality – people will not be able to discern what is true any more with AI-generated photos, videos and text flooding the internet.

The recent upgrades to image generators such as Midjourney mean people can now produce photo-realistic images – one such image of Pope Francis in a Balenciaga puffer coat went viral in March.

Hinton was also concerned that AI will eventually replace jobs like paralegals, personal assistants and other “drudge work”, and potentially more in the future.

Google’s chief scientist, Jeff Dean, said in a statement that Google appreciated Hinton’s contributions to the company over the past decade.

“I’ve deeply enjoyed our many conversations over the years. I’ll miss him, and I wish him well!

“As one of the first companies to publish AI Principles, we remain committed to a responsible approach to AI. We’re continually learning to understand emerging risks while also innovating boldly.”Toby Walsh, the chief scientist at the University of New South Wales AI Institute, said people should be questioning any online media they see now.

“When it comes to any digital data you see – audio or video – you have to entertain the idea that someone has spoofed it.”

[3blade]

Isn’t this the point in the movie where someone from the future tries to kill the computer/developer, gets stopped, tries to warns us….wait….

[Bushleague]

The fact that anyone could be so shortsighted as to believe that AI would do the human race more good than harm blows my mind. This man's opinions IMO are basically invalid, but in this case I'd agree with them.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Hinton’s concern in the short term is something that has already become a reality – people will not be able to discern what is true any more with AI-generated photos, videos and text flooding the internet.

This is the thing that has been an issue for many years now. I recall reading a book showing how photos were altered for propaganda purposes back in the early 20th century.

As our artistic skills progressed, and with the advent of digital media and CGI, this has definitely become more of an issue. I have been teaching my kids to be very wary of what they presume to be true based on print, photo and video media.

With AI it definitely takes it up several notches.

[Drewski Canuck]

Stanley Kubrick gave us a view of the future in 1968.

the Super Computer HAL goes rogue and tries to kill off the crew to ensure no "human uncertainty" in the mission to Jupiter.

The Monolith was to be studied and recovered, but kept secret.

But something goes wrong in the moral construct of HAL.

The question is, what is the Kill Switch to protect Humans for AI that forms a moral construct along the lines of Stalin, or Hitler?

That is the risk we are taking, and that eventually Humans will not be able to ensure.

Science Fiction is not Fiction anymore, and in this interconnected world, there is no one Government who can ensure our safety from AI. Arguable, there is no world government who can avoid the potential for a "skynet" AI unleashing destruction on its creators (Terminator reference if you are too young to know).

Drewski

[Red Bullets]

It amazes me that people don't clue in that AI has already infiltrated most people.

The cell phones have attached themselves to people like artifical appendages. The cell phones have conditioned people to respond to a series of beeps and signals. Th ecell phones can make a person laugh or cry or stress out. They have convinced people that they need all these apps to be "up to date". Cell phones can track you, listen to you and see your surroundings any time they want to. It has been seen that when a cell phone network goes down people panic and even commit suicide. This has happened to people who rely on the cell phone to do business and finances.

One of the developers of the cell phone is now against them and is giving lectures on the evils of cell phones. Many of us "oldtimers" remember the times before cell phones and can see what cell phones have done to society.

I have never owned a cell and never will. Cell phones are just evil succubus minions of the governments and corporations that control the world's finances.

[Sundancefisher]

It’s not the tool that’s bad but those that use it unwisely, unfairly or with negative intentions in mind.

There will be unskilled jobs lost just like with the advent of mass production factories or use of robots.

If you don’t like the AI service. Always ask for person

If one doesn’t just assume anything they read or see online is likely faked or embellished then they have missed the last 3 years.

AI and machine learning will revolutionize medical practices as we know it.

Scientists no longer will be the creators of new ideas but will be critical in finding the data needed by AI to cure cancers and other diseases.

For those living their lives on the web… all this fake stuff will either drive them into paranoia or drive them outside.

If you don’t know what’s real…then how about hang with real people?

Times are going to change quickly.

Society better be quick to adjust to a low confidence in online news from all sources or be controlled by the false narrative they soak up.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Stinky Buffalo

I have been teaching my kids to be very wary of what they presume to be true based on print, photo and video media.

This needs to be taught to a lot of adults as well

[Bigrib]

How about using AI to you know ... stick to budgets for politicians and honesty in election campaigning ... oh wait that isn't how humans operate

[Drewski Canuck]

Originally Posted by Bigrib

How about using AI to you know ... stick to budgets for politicians and honesty in election campaigning ... oh wait that isn't how humans operate

Its not how Politician operate either.

Drewski

[urban rednek]

The AI campfire song by Reina del Cid:

https://imgur.com/gallery/0ulANGE

[CranePete]

Was expecting words of wisdom from the P.O. Ackley archives…darn

[Bushrat]

AI is just another step, propaganda and social engineering been going on since languages and speech evolved, hieroglyphics carved into stone, paper, newspapers, radio, TV, now computers and phones which also track and record everything should it be needed if someone wants to get the dirt on someone.

[Beached Whale]

Poor guy. Its awful to live with regrets like that. But I'm sure sleeping on a bed of money helps quite a bit.

[calgarychef]

Joe Rogan and Elon Musk had a good interview regarding AI, Musk is genuinely afraid of the consequences but had given up beating the drum about it. He says we’ll just have to deal with the fallout.

[urban rednek]

Here is an example of what AI is capable of now. These clips were taken from the Microsoft research project VASA-1: Lifelike Audio-Driven Talking Faces
Generated in Real Time

https://imgur.com/gallery/gPNm1Mb

Here is the link to the Microsoft research project with information and examples of its current capabilities.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/rese...roject/vasa-1/

Now imagine this technology being used to impersonate an authority figure to distribute misinformation and foment confusion within society.