Nonzero Chance Geoffrey Hinton, a British computer scientist, is best known as the “godfather of artificial intelligence.” His seminal work on neural networks broke the mold by mimicking the processes of human cognition, and went on to form the foundation of machine learning models today. And now, in a lengthy interview with CBS News, Hinton shared his thoughts on the current state of AI, which he fashions to be in a “pivotal moment,” with the advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI) looming closer than we’d think. “Until quite recently, I thought it was going to be like 20 to 50 years before we have general purpose AI,” Hinton said. “And now I think it may be 20 years or less.” AGI is the term that describes a potential AI that could exhibit human or superhuman levels of intelligence. Rather than being overtly specialized, an AGI would be capable of learning and thinking on its own to solve a vast array of problems. For now, omens of AGI are often invoked to drum up the capabilities of current models. But regardless of the industry bluster hailing its arrival or how long it might really be before AGI dawns on us, Hinton says we should be carefully considering its consequences now — which may include the minor issue of it trying to wipe out humanity. “It’s not inconceivable, that’s all I’ll say,” Hinton told CBS. The Big Picture Still, Hinton maintains that the real issue on the horizon is how AI technology…Godfather of AI Says There's a Minor Risk It'll Eliminate Humanity