logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
39m 56s

The Godfather of A.I. Has Some Regrets

The New York Times
About this episode

As the world begins to experiment with the power of artificial intelligence, a debate has begun about how to contain its risks. One of the sharpest and most urgent warnings has come from a man who helped invent the technology.

Cade Metz, a technology correspondent for The New York Times, speaks to Geoffrey Hinton, who many consider to be the godfather of A.I.

Guest: Cade Metz, a technology correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Up next
Yesterday
A Consequential Supreme Court Term Begins With a Conversion Therapy Case
Warning: this episode contains mentions of suicide.In one of the first cases of the Supreme Court’s new term, the justices considered whether to strike down a ban on conversion therapy, the contentious practice that aims to change a young person’s sexual orientation.Ann E. Marimo ... Show More
30m 29s
Oct 8
Trump Claims ‘Rebellion’ in American Cities
Over the past week, ICE and border patrol agents have clashed with Chicago residents, and federal guard troops arriving in the city might inflame tensions further.Julie Bosman, Chicago bureau chief for The Times, and Mattathias Schwartz describe the situation on the ground and ex ... Show More
34m 31s
Oct 7
Marriage and Sex in the Age of Ozempic
In the last few years, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound have been radically reshaping the people’s lives, changing appetites and health.But the drugs also have the power to affect other parts of consumers’ lives, including their romantic relationships.Lisa Miller ... Show More
37m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
Geoffrey Hinton: ‘It’s Far Too Late’ to Stop Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has made headlines all year long, but the turn of events this week was extraordinary. OpenAI was thrown into chaos with the firing and eventual rehiring of CEO Sam Altman. There was a shakeup in the company’s board of directors and fierce debates about how ... Show More
35m 59s
May 2023
AI ‘godfather’ warns of danger ahead
A man widely regarded as the godfather of artificial intelligence (AI) has quit his job at Google, warning about the risks posed by the technology he helped to develop. Dr Geoffrey Hinton joins a growing number of experts sharing their concerns about the speed at which AI is deve ... Show More
48m 50s
May 2023
Another think coming? An AI pioneer steps down
Geoffrey Hinton, a legend of artificial-intelligence research, wants to be able to speak his mind about the technology’s risks. We ask whether those steeped in a field are best-placed to judge it. It has long been clear Ukraine needs more fighter jets; we look at the ones it may ... Show More
28m 2s
May 2023
The Godfather of AI is Worried About AI
Dr. Geoffrey Hinton recently retired from Google, saying that he wanted to be able to speak freely about his concerns regarding artificial intelligence without having to consider the impact to his employer. So what is the Godfather of AI worried about? See omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More
44m 51s
Dec 2022
Babbage: The tech behind ChatGPT—an episode from our archive
ChatGPT is just one example of a new type of artificial intelligence, which could become the next major general-purpose technology. This week, we revisit one of our favourite episodes of 2022, which explains why "foundational AI" promises to be so transformative. The Economist’s ... Show More
44m 52s
Dec 2022
Babbage: The tech behind ChatGPT—an episode from our archive
ChatGPT is just one example of a new type of artificial intelligence, which could become the next major general-purpose technology. This week, we revisit one of our favourite episodes of 2022, which explains why "foundational AI" promises to be so transformative. The Economist’s ... Show More
44m 52s
Jun 2023
AI Won’t Wipe Out Humanity (Yet)
The idea that machine intelligence will one day take over the world has long been a staple of science fiction. But given the rapid advances in consumer-level artificial intelligence tools, the fear has felt closer to reality these past few months than it ever has before. The gene ... Show More
29m 51s
May 2023
Another think coming? An AI pioneer steps down
Geoffrey Hinton, a legend of artificial-intelligence research, wants to be able to speak his mind about the technology’s risks. We ask whether those steeped in a field are best-placed to judge it. It has long been clear Ukraine needs more fighter jets; we look at the ones it may ... Show More
28m 2s
May 2023
Is artificial intelligence a threat or a breakthrough?
After ‘The Godfather’ of artificial intelligence sounds the alarm about his own dangerous creation, Christiane asks senior A.I. researcher Connor Leahy, and also the head of Cyber Policy at Stanford University Marietje Schaake, if they think A.I. is a major threat to humanity, or ... Show More
54m 57s