The news that Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer in artificial intelligence (AI), received the Nobel Prize in Physics is the result of his lifetime research and achievements recognized worldwide. However, the fact that Hinton warned of the dangers of AI, specifically that robots capable of killing humans may emerge within 10 years, makes us deeply contemplate the direction of AI's development.
Hinton was born in 1947, outside of London, England, and showed a keen interest in science and mathematics from an early age. As a graduate student at the University of Edinburgh, he proposed the concept of artificial neural networks, which would allow computers to process information by mimicking human neural networks. Although the idea was considered impractical at the time, Hinton continued to work on it, laying the foundation of AI.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, recognized the work of Professor John Hopfield, who shared the prize with Hinton, as establishing the foundations of AI machine learning. By making artificial neural networks a reality, Hinton paved the way for computers to learn on their own, laying the groundwork for the development of modern AI technology. His work culminated in DNN Research, a company he founded with his students in 2012, which was acquired by Google and helped bring AI technology to the masses. This has had a major impact on today's AI chatbot technology.
Professor Hinton also drew attention to the dangers of AI technology. He joined Google in 2013 to continue his research, but by 2019, he left to warn of the negative impacts that rapid advances in AI could have on humanity. He fears that AI's capabilities could transcend humans, and he is particularly wary of advances in technology that could spiral out of human control, such as autonomous weapon systems.
The crux of his concern is that the point at which AI exceeds human capabilities could come sooner rather than later. While it is clear that AI has the potential to bring about societal changes similar to those of the Industrial Revolution, its uncontrolled development carries enormous risks, and issues such as the adoption of AI for military purposes make the emergence of autonomous weapon systems particularly alarming. Professor Hinton warns that this scenario could become a reality and emphasizes the need for international regulation. This serves as a reminder of the lack of oversight seen in previous industrializations and should guide us to avoid repeating it with AI.
At the same time, there are clearly positive aspects of the changes that AI will bring. AI is already playing a transformative role in medicine, science, industry, and other fields, demonstrating how it can improve the quality of human life. AI's ability to process large amounts of data and recognize patterns overcomes human limitations and opens up new possibilities for discovery.
However, despite these positive possibilities, we need to approach AI with a clear understanding of how it should be controlled and managed. The unchecked competition of big tech companies and the abuse of AI technology is causing controversy in society. Institutional arrangements need to be put in place to balance the benefits and risks of AI, and the ethical debate about the technology needs to be fueled.
Co-winner Professor John Hopfield has also revolutionized the way machines store and process information by developing a neural network model called the Hopfield Network. This allowed machines to process information in a similar way to human memory, accelerating the development of AI technology.
Ultimately, their Nobel Prize in Physics is more than just a recognition of technical achievement; it sends an important message that we need to be vigilant and prepared to maximize the benefits of AI technology while minimizing its risks. It reminds us of the preparations and efforts we need to make to ensure that technological advances have a positive impact on human society, and it will take the collaboration of all experts to build a social consensus and implement it.
