Sir Demis Hassabis on The Future of Knowledge | Institute for Advanced Study

About this video

• Video Title: Sir Demis Hassabis on The Future of Knowledge | Institute for Advanced Study
• Channel: Institute for Advanced Study
• Speakers: David Nermberg, Demis Hassabis
• Duration: 57:42

Overview

This video features a conversation between David Nermberg, Director of the Institute for Advanced Study, and Sir Demis Hassabis, CEO and co-founder of Google DeepMind. They discuss the evolution of artificial intelligence, its applications in scientific discovery, the challenges of developing AGI, and the crucial need for ethical considerations and new institutions to guide the future of this transformative technology.

Key takeaways

• AI's Origins in Games: Hassabis's journey into AI began with an early fascination for games, starting with chess, and evolved into programming simulation games with AI as a core component. This led to an understanding of AI's potential.
• Games as Microcosms: Games like chess and Go are valuable for AI development because they serve as microcosms of human thought, strategy, and culture, providing clear metrics and allowing for the generation of vast amounts of data.
• AI for Scientific Advancement: DeepMind's mission extends beyond games to solving significant real-world problems in science, medicine, and mathematics, aiming to accelerate human knowledge.
• Protein Folding and AlphaFold: A key breakthrough was AlphaFold, which solved the protein structure prediction challenge, demonstrating AI's power in scientific discovery and inspiring the creation of Isomorphic Labs for drug discovery.
• The P vs. NP Problem: Hassabis is deeply interested in the P vs. NP problem, viewing it as a foundational question in computer science about the limits of computation on classical machines.
• General Intelligence (AGI): DeepMind's ultimate goal is to build Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – systems with human-like cognitive capabilities – which requires developing sophisticated world models that understand intuitive physics and context.
• Risks and Governance: Hassabis acknowledges the dual-use nature of AI, highlighting risks from bad actors and inherent AI risks as systems become more autonomous. He emphasizes the need for new institutions, international cooperation, and ethical frameworks, drawing parallels to the development of nuclear technology.
• The Role of Academia: While industry drives large-scale AI development due to resource needs, academia has a vital role in independent analysis, interpretation, benchmark creation, and exploring ethical and societal implications.