Members of the US Congress heard Nobel Prize-winning scientist Hinton’s warnings about the future of artificial intelligence. Briefing members of Congress at the invitation of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Hinton said safety measures must be implemented to prevent the complete loss of control over AI.
Hinton said predictions that superintelligence would be achieved initially placed the timeframe at 30 to 50 years, but that estimate was later reduced to 10 to 20 years. He said many researchers believe this development could occur within a few years, adding that the timeframe could be as short as one year.
Hinton said AI has reached a point where it can now design more advanced forms of artificial intelligence, describing this as self-improvement. “If we don’t do something, this will get out of control. We need to slow down,” Hinton said.
Congress members defend human oversight
Democratic Representative Ted Lieu described recent advances in AI as an extraordinary development that resembles a science-fiction scenario.
Lieu said artificial intelligence must be subject to basic human oversight and that control must not be reversed.
Bernie Sanders said there was growing concern about creating a technology that humans could not control and about the future of humanity. Sanders said a sense of urgency was growing among members of Congress over the need to address the issue.