Demis Hassabis on AI and the Nobel Prize
Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind and co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, spoke about the significance of AI in a recent press conference in Tokyo. He emphasized the potential of AI as a powerful tool for scientific discovery and its recognition as a legitimate scientific field.
Hassabis highlighted the groundbreaking work of AlphaFold, an AI model developed by him and his team at DeepMind. AlphaFold can predict protein structures with remarkable accuracy and speed, offering a significant boost to drug development and other scientific endeavors. He stressed the importance of responsible AI development, advocating for a cautious approach that prioritizes understanding the technology and its potential risks before widespread deployment.
The Nobel Prize, according to Hassabis, signifies the growing recognition of AI as a legitimate scientific discipline. He expressed his long-held dream of utilizing AI to advance scientific understanding and accelerate discovery, a goal he believes has been achieved with the development of AlphaFold.
However, Hassabis acknowledged the potential dangers associated with AI, particularly the risk of misuse by malicious actors. He emphasized the need for effective regulation to ensure the technology is used for good and not for harm. While acknowledging the concerns of some AI experts, he expressed optimism that solutions can be found to address these challenges.
Looking ahead, Hassabis believes that achieving artificial general intelligence, a long-held goal in AI research, is now a realistic possibility within his lifetime. He also shared his passion for the game of Go, demonstrating his skills in a ceremonial match against renowned Go player Yuta Iyama. The development of AlphaGo, an AI model that defeated the best human Go players, was inspired by Hassabis' own experience with the game. He sees AlphaGo as a stepping stone that paved the way for the development of AlphaFold and other groundbreaking AI applications.