Canadian computer scientist Yoshua Bengio, one of three AI godfathers, has expressed concern over the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI). Bengio told the BBC that he would have prioritized safety over usefulness in his work, had he known how quickly AI would progress. He added that ethical training should be provided for computer scientists who don’t usually get it. Bengio stressed the need for regulation of AI companies and labs and suggested that governments track their work. Bengio has signed a statement issued by the Center for AI Safety, which warns the technology poses an extinction risk comparable to nuclear war.
Bengio has won numerous prizes for his AI work, including the Turing Award in 2018. His particular interests include deep learning and generative models. He is a co-founder of the Mila AI institute.
