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Artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has once again expressed deep concerns about the pace and direction of AI development, warning that many leading tech<\/a> companies continue to downplay the potential risks involved. Speaking on the One Decision<\/i> podcast, Hinton criticised the lack of genuine urgency among industry leaders, despite a growing understanding of the possible consequences.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cMany of the people in big companies, I think, are downplaying the risk publicly,\u201d he said. While Hinton<\/a> acknowledged that some figures within the AI community are aware of the dangers, he suggested this awareness is often not reflected in their public stance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Hinton pointed to Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, as someone who recognises the seriousness of the issue. According to Hinton, Hassabis \u201creally wants to do something about\u201d the possibility of AI being exploited by malicious actors. DeepMind, founded in 2010 and acquired by Google four years later, remains central to the company\u2019s AI research efforts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The latest remarks build on earlier warnings issued by Hinton. In a separate interview on the Diary of a CEO<\/i><\/a> podcast, he predicted large-scale displacement of white-collar workers due to AI systems. He described “mundane intellectual labour”, routine office and administrative work, as especially vulnerable, suggesting that AI could perform tasks previously handled by multiple people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI think for mundane intellectual labour, AI is just going to replace everybody,\u201d he said, adding that automated systems could soon outperform humans in such roles with ease.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n