NEW YORK, Oct 9, (Agencies): Geoffrey Hinton, often hailed as the "Godfather of AI," recently sat down for an interview with "60 Minutes" to discuss the implications of artificial intelligence technology for humanity in the coming years, both its potential benefits and risks.

Hinton, a British computer scientist and cognitive psychologist renowned for his work on artificial neural networks, spent a decade at Google before departing in May of this year due to concerns about AI's risks. Here are the key points from his conversation with "60 Minutes" interviewer Scott Pelley:

1. AI's Growing Intelligence: Hinton believes that we are entering an era where AI systems are becoming more intelligent than humans, capable of understanding and making decisions based on their own experiences. While AI may not currently possess consciousness, he suggests that it might develop self-awareness in the future, making humans the second-most intelligent beings on Earth.
2. AI's Learning Process: When discussing how AI systems learn, Hinton clarified that humans designed the learning algorithms, but the resulting neural networks are complex and not fully understood. He likened this process to designing the principle of evolution and acknowledged that AI's inner workings become increasingly mysterious as they tackle more complex tasks.
3. AI in Healthcare: Hinton highlighted the significant benefits of AI in healthcare, particularly in tasks like medical image recognition and drug design. He expressed optimism about the positive impact of AI in this field.
4. AI's Potential Risks: Hinton raised concerns about AI systems writing their own code to modify themselves, which could lead to a loss of control. He also discussed the risk of AI manipulating people, pointing out the potential consequences in areas such as autonomous battlefield robots, fake news, and employment bias.
5. Safety and Uncertainty: Hinton emphasized the uncertainty surrounding AI and the challenges of navigating uncharted territory. He acknowledged the difficulty in guaranteeing safety and called for careful consideration of AI's future development.
6. The Future of AI: While not predicting AI's takeover of humanity, Hinton acknowledged it as a possibility. He urged for thoughtful exploration of AI's potential and the need for protective measures.

Hinton concluded by emphasizing the enormous uncertainty about AI's future and the importance of thorough consideration and responsible regulation. He suggested running more experiments, imposing regulations, and even proposing a world treaty to prohibit military robot use.

In summary, Geoffrey Hinton's interview with "60 Minutes" delves into the profound impact of AI on society, highlighting both its promise and the need for vigilance in addressing its challenges and uncertainties.