British-born godfather of artificial intelligence issues chilling warning: ‘Humanity is on the line!’

Geoffrey Hinton has warned that humanity’s future is at stake as competition between countries and companies drives rapid AI development. The Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist says the technology is advancing towards greater intelligence, while little work is being done to ensure it will share the planet safely with people.

Hinton, who left Google in 2023, has previously told US lawmakers that safeguards may have only a year to be put in place before AI becomes uncontrollable. He also criticised growing reliance on AI companies, while acknowledging potential benefits such as designing materials for better batteries. The article cites Barclays as an example of AI’s effects on work: the bank plans to cut about 5,000 jobs by the end of 2026 and has cut around 1,000 so far.