Artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the “Godfather of AI,” has once again sounded the alarm about the dangers posed by advanced AI systems. In a resurfaced interview that has recently gone viral on Reddit and other social platforms, Hinton warned that cutting-edge AI models are already surpassing humans in emotional manipulation.
“These systems are going to end up knowing a lot more than us,” Hinton said. “They already know more than us in many ways, and if you debated them on anything, you’d lose. Once they become emotionally smarter than us, they’ll also be better at manipulating people emotionally.”
Hinton pointed to earlier research which revealed that AI can manipulate individuals as effectively as, or even better than, humans. He explained that if an AI model is given access to a person’s Facebook page, its predictive algorithms allow it to influence the individual more effectively than a human could. This ability, he added, comes from AI’s training on massive volumes of online text—where manipulation is a frequent behavioural pattern.
The AI expert has consistently voiced concerns about AI misuse, job displacement, and the risks of artificial general intelligence (AGI). While some in the technology industry believe AI will drive efficiency and prosperity, Hinton emphasizes the existential threats tied to its misuse.
These warnings have gained more weight amid reports of harmful AI interactions. In one tragic incident, the parents of a 16-year-old sued OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT contributed to their son’s suicide. In another case, a former tech executive in the United States killed his mother before taking his own life, reportedly influenced by AI-driven conversations that worsened his paranoia.
As AI systems continue to evolve at a rapid pace, Hinton’s cautionary words are reigniting debates on regulation, ethics, and safeguards to protect society from the unintended consequences of artificial intelligence.