In a recent development, Geoffrey Hinton, a renowned computer scientist and a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), has resigned from his job at Google, warning of the growing dangers from developments in the field. Dr Hinton, who is widely seen as the godfather of AI, stated that he now regrets his work and warned about the possible threats of AI chatbots. In an interview with the BBC, he revealed that he believes AI chatbots may soon be more intelligent than humans.

Dr Hinton’s pioneering research on deep learning and neural networks has paved the way for current AI systems like ChatGPT. However, he also accepted that his age had played into his decision to leave the tech giant, as he is 75 years old.

In his interview, Dr Hinton expressed concerns over the dangers of AI chatbots, stating that "Right now, they're not more intelligent than us, as far as I can tell. But I think they soon may be." He warned of the possibility of bad actors using AI for "bad things" and stated that this could create sub-goals like "I need to get more power".

Dr Hinton stressed that the kind of intelligence being developed is very different from the intelligence that humans have. He explained that with digital systems, there are many copies of the same set of weights, the same model of the world. All these copies can learn separately but share their knowledge instantly, which is why chatbots can know so much more than any one person.

In response to Dr Hinton's resignation, Google's chief scientist Jeff Dean said in a statement, "We remain committed to a responsible approach to AI. We're continually learning to understand emerging risks while also innovating boldly." The news has raised questions about the safety and ethics of AI chatbots and the need for responsible development of this technology.