British-Canadian computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, often called the "Godfather of AI", has raised concerns that artificial intelligence could lead to human extinction within the next 30 years. Hinton, who recently received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his AI work, now estimates a 10% to 20% chance of this outcome, citing the rapid pace of technological advancement as a key factor. Previously, he had estimated a 10% risk, but he has slightly increased the odds based on current developments.

During an interview with former chancellor Sajid Javid on BBC's Today programme, Geoffrey Hinton explained his increased estimate of AI's potential threat to humanity. When Javid remarked on the rising probability, Hinton noted that humans have never faced the challenge of managing something more intelligent than themselves. He pointed out the rarity of such control, using the example of a baby influencing its mother, which he said is one of the few instances where a less intelligent entity controls a more intelligent one, shaped by evolution.

He noted, "And how many examples do you know of a more intelligent thing being controlled by a less intelligent thing? There are very few examples. There's a mother and baby. Evolution put a lot of work into allowing the baby to control the mother, but that's about the only example I know of."

London-born Geoffrey Hinton, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, compared humans to toddlers in relation to the potential intelligence of powerful AI systems, suggesting that we would be like three-year-olds in comparison. AI refers to computer systems performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, and Hinton expressed concern about how much smarter these systems could become.