Geoffrey Hinton is regarded as one of the “godfathers” of artificial intelligence and has played a pivotal role in advancing deep learning, backpropagation, and various other technological breakthroughs. In 2024, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics, honoring his substantial contributions to the realm of computer science. This recognition is quite impressive for someone who began his career focused on deciphering the complexities of the human brain.

However, despite his significant involvement in the field's development, Professor Hinton has been taken aback by the swift progression of technology. He now believes that artificial neural networks possess capabilities for thinking, reasoning, and understanding the world that might ultimately surpass human intelligence. In a conversation with Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor, Professor Hinton elaborates on his belief that artificial intelligence is far more human-like than it appears at first glance.