--- title: "In Video, Godfather of AI Said He Was in Favor of AI Replacing Humankind" description: "During an MIT talk, AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton seemed to endorse the concept of superintelligent AI replacing humanity." date: "2024-06-17" modified: "2024-06-17" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/ai-godfather-geoffrey-hinton-superintelligence-replacement" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "artificial intelligence" - "artificial superintelligence" - "geoffrey hinton" - "mit" --- # In Video, Godfather of AI Said He Was in Favor of AI Replacing Humankind ![During an MIT talk, AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton seemed to endorse the concept of superintelligent AI replacing humanity.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* Artificial intelligence might be tearing the worlds of [government]() and [business]() lately, but for decades AI research was the realm of obscure researchers who laid the groundwork for the gold rush we're seeing today. Now that their baby has gotten big, it's always interesting watching these figures grapple with the world they've created. For a perfect example, look no further than a newly-resurfaced talk in which AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton gave a fascinating response when asked a question about superintelligent AI replacing humans. During the [December online lecture](), which recently [resurfaced on Reddit](), the so-called "[Godfather of AI]()" was asked if he would be in favor of a superintelligent AI destroying humanity and replacing it with "something objectively better in terms of consciousness." "I'm actually for it," the machine learning scholar responded, "but I think it would be wiser for me to say I am against it." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWPo7Yhg7Vc&t=3327s Hinton, as you may recall, [left Google last spring]() over fears of AI falling into the hands of "bad actors" and went so far as to [say he regretted]() his role in developing the powerful neural networks that now undergird everything from ChatGPT to Stable Diffusion. Given that fairly recent turn of events, it's surprising that he of all people would make such a remark — and when lecture moderator and MIT tech historian Deborah Fitzgerald asked him to "say more," things did indeed get more and interesting and complicated. "Well, people don't like being replaced," Hinton said laughingly. At Fitzgerald's prodding, he expounded by pointing out that there are lots of good and "not-so-good" aspects to humanity, "it's not clear we're the best form of intelligence there is." "Obviously, from a person's perspective, everything relates to people," Hinton continued. "But it may be there comes a point when we see things like 'humanist' as racist terms." After a long pause, the MIT moderator responded with an "okay" before moving on to the next question. But all the same, this response is all the more perplexing given that just prior to resigning from Google, Hinton told [*CBS News* it's "not inconceivable]()" that human-level artificial general intelligence (AGI) could destroy humanity as we know it. We've reached out to Hinton to ask if his views have changed since leaving Google or if he'd like to expound on his remarks. **More on turbo-charged AI:** [*Edward Snowden Says OpenAI Just Performed a "Calculated Betrayal of the Rights of Every Person on Earth"* ]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()