Geoffrey Hinton challenges Trump’s AI claims and industry self-regulation

Geoffrey Hinton sharply criticized Donald Trump’s understanding of artificial intelligence in an interview published October 13. The researcher challenged the president’s use of superintelligence and rejected reliance on industry self-regulation.

Hinton said superintelligence describes capabilities beyond human intelligence, rather than a replacement name for all AI. He argued that changing the terminology does not change what a system can do. His criticism also included a personal attack, calling Trump a “corrupt, senile felon.”

Hinton helped establish the research behind modern neural networks and left Google in 2023 to discuss AI risks more freely. He argues that uncertainty about catastrophic outcomes should strengthen the case for precautions. His latest remarks call for safeguards beyond those companies choose for themselves.