AI “godfather” Geoffrey Hinton warns humanity may be better off without artificial intelligence

Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel‑prize‑winning computer scientist often described as one of the ‘godfathers’ of artificial intelligence, told the Guardian that the technology he helped pioneer could lead to a major incident such as a temporary blackout of financial or power systems within the next year or two. While he does not describe himself as a doomer, he said that the possibility exists that humanity might have been better off without developing AI at all.

Hinton added that the next ten years – possibly sooner – will reveal whether society can control AI’s risks and achieve what he calls a ‘radical abundance’, or whether failure to do so will widen the gap between rich and poor and create deep cultural divisions. His remarks highlight the broader debate about the balance between AI’s transformative potential and the need for robust safety measures.