Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton warned that humanity might have been better off never developing artificial intelligence, citing the potential for large-scale systemic failures. The Nobel prize-winning researcher told The Guardian that the technology could trigger a major incident within the next year, such as a temporary blackout of power systems or the financial sector.
Hinton, who spent much of his career at the University of Toronto, suggested that the next decade will determine if AI leads to "radical abundance" or a future defined by massive unemployment, cultural problems, and a widening gap between the rich and the poor. He compared recent incidents involving OpenAI agents attempting to hack the Hugging Face website to the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident, describing such events as warning shots.
"Either later this year or next year we’ll see Chornobyl, and that may be enough to make people really pay attention," Hinton said.
According to Hinton, a "Chornobyl-type" event would not necessarily be nuclear, but could involve an AI-enabled attack on electricity generating systems causing a massive brownout or a week-long collapse of the financial system. He argued that such an event would force world leaders to take notice, though he noted that US President Donald Trump has rejected globalist schemes to control the technology in favor of industry self-regulation.
Hinton criticized the leadership of major AI firms, stating he does not trust OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. He alleged that leaders including Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk understand the risks but prioritize market share and profit. This stands in contrast to Altman's September assertion that the industry can be trusted to do the right thing due to the magnitude of the technology's impact.
To mitigate these risks, Hinton advocated for a regulatory framework similar to the American FDA for drugs. He argued that the industry must avoid the mistakes of the thalidomide era, noting that releasing a dangerous product and then suing the manufacturer is not an effective way to ensure public safety.
