Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, an emeritus professor at the University of Toronto, is set to meet with Canada's Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Evan Solomon, on Thursday to advocate for AI regulation, warning that the technology is "potentially very dangerous." Hinton believes the public is largely unaware of AI's risks, which include misinformation, job losses, and advanced cyberattacks. His stance contrasts with the Canadian government's recent shift towards AI adoption over regulation and highlights a significant division among top Canadian AI scientists, with Yoshua Bengio supporting regulation and Richard Sutton opposing it.
‘Potentially very dangerous’: Nobel winner Hinton wants AI minister to regulate the tech
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, an emeritus professor at the University of Toronto, is set to meet with Canada's Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Evan Solomon, on Thursday to advocate for AI regulation, warning that the technology is "potentially very dangerous." Hinton believes the public is largely unaware of AI's risks, which include misinformation, job losses, and advanced cyberattacks. His stance contrasts with the Canadian government's recent shift towards AI adoption over regulation and highlights a significant division among top Canadian AI scientists, with Yoshua Bengio supporting regulation and Richard Sutton opposing it.
Trending- 1 2023: Geoffrey Hinton retired from Google.
- 2 January (recent): Parliament was prorogued, and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) died.
- 3 Last year: The federal government allotted $50 million to create the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute.
- 4 Wednesday (recent): Geoffrey Hinton joined Nick Frosst for a discussion about AI at the University of Toronto.
- 5 Thursday (upcoming): Geoffrey Hinton is scheduled to meet with AI and digital innovation minister Evan Solomon.
- Potential for new AI legislation or policy changes in Canada
- Ongoing debate within the AI scientific community and government about the balance between regulation and innovation
- Increased public awareness of AI risks and the need for oversight
- Canada's position in the global AI regulatory landscape
What: Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton plans to urge Canada's Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Evan Solomon, to regulate AI, citing its potential dangers like misinformation, job losses, and advanced cyberattacks. This advocacy comes amidst a global shift away from AI regulation towards rapid adoption, and highlights differing views among Canadian AI experts.
When: Published June 26, 2025. Hinton's meeting with Minister Solomon is scheduled for Thursday. Hinton retired from Google in 2023. Parliament was prorogued in January (when the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act died). The federal government allotted $50 million for the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute last year. Hinton spoke at the University of Toronto on Wednesday.
Where: Canada (University of Toronto, Alberta), France.
Why: Hinton believes AI is "potentially very dangerous" and that the public is unaware of the risks. He sees his role as educating the public and believes regulation is necessary despite industry pressure and the challenge of achieving international agreements. There is also a broader debate among AI scientists about the timing and necessity of regulation.
How: Hinton will meet with Minister Evan Solomon to express his views and is also publicly speaking about the risks. The Canadian government previously attempted regulation with the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) and has funded the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute to further research.