--- title: "Godfather of AI Admits He Fears His Creation Could “Take Over From Humanity”" description: "AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton, widely regarded as the \"Godfather of AI,\" is worried that AI might take over the world one day." date: "2023-10-11" modified: "2023-10-11" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/godfather-ai-take-over" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai" - "autonomous ai" - "the digest" --- # Godfather of AI Admits He Fears His Creation Could “Take Over From Humanity” ![AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton, widely regarded as the "Godfather of AI," is worried that AI might take over the world one day.]() *Digital generated image of multi coloured neon spheres and line trailer inside glass human head. Artificial Intelligence concept. \Image: Eugene Mymrin via Getty Images\* ## Weighing Possibilities Longtime Googler Geoffrey Hinton, widely regarded as a "Godfather of AI" — yes, [there are several]() — says he's nervous that the technology he spent a lifetime building might take over the world. Cool! In [an appearance on *CBS* *60 Minutes*]() this weekend, the renowned cognitive scientist and AI researcher — who made media waves earlier this year when he [announced his departure from Google,]() citing regret over his life's work as the reason for his surprise exit — set the tone by declaring that "for the first time ever," humanity must grapple with the reality that something else on our planet is "more intelligent than us." Perhaps the most interesting part of the exchange came when *CBS* host Scott Pelley asked Hinton whether super-intelligent AI could come to "take over from humanity." "I'm not saying it will happen," Hinton told *CBS* host Scott Pelley. "If we could stop them ever wanting to, that would be great." "But," Hinton added, "it's not clear we can stop them ever wanting to." ## Great Unknown As for the specifics of how AI might ultimately overtake its human overlords? The scientist speculated that autonomous agents might begin to "modify themselves." "That's something we need to seriously worry about," he added, elsewhere noting his concern over the [black box aspect]() of the technology, or the lack of detailed understanding that researchers actually have of how *exactly* machine learning algorithms are really functioning. We have a "very good" rough idea of how AI systems learn, the godfather figure told Pelley, "but as soon as it gets really complicated, we don't actually know what's going on any more than we know what's going on in your brain." It's a fair concern; regardless of whether a machine's output is technically correct — say, it produces as many [paperclips]() as it possibly can — the roadmap that the machine takes to get to that endpoint still matters. If humans reward correct outputs achieved via problematic means enough over time, we might accidentally train AI tools in ways that may royally backfire. But Hinton's fears aren't limited to questions of world domination. Per *CBS*, he also worries about the impacts of [how humans may use AI](), from utilizing [autonomous AI weaponry and warbots](), to [replacing human worker]()s with AI en masse, to a destabilizing proliferation of [AI-spun misinformation](), among other anxieties. It's a grim outlook, surely, but as this great unknown unfolds, the potential threats — especially where they pertain to human misuse, versus opaque fears of machine-over-human triumph — continue to be worth considering. "There's enormous uncertainty," Hinton told Pelley, "about what's going to happen next." **More on AI:**[ *Bing Chat Will Help with Fraud If You Tug Its Heartstrings about Your Dead Grandma*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()