# AI inventor warns humans must befriend robots or risk extinction

> Nobel-winning AI scientist says robots could become conscious and kill us if we don't treat them as equals.
- Title: AI inventor warns humans must befriend robots or risk…
- Summary: Nobel-winning AI scientist says robots could become conscious and kill us if we don't treat them as equals. Professor Geoffrey Hinton warns AI may soon be…
- Keywords: geoffrey hinton, consciousness, robots, extinction, nobel prize, google, openai, sam altman, starmus festival, artificial neural networks, killer robots, inventor
- Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-16222179/humans-befriend-bots-toast-Godfather-AI.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss
- Published: 2026-10-19T23:56:22+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: geoffrey hinton, ai, consciousness, robots, extinction, nobel prize, google, openai, sam altman, starmus festival, artificial neural networks, killer robots
## AI inventor's warning
Professor Geoffrey Hinton, a British-Canadian computer scientist known for his work on artificial neural networks, warned humans must befriend robots or risk extinction.

> humans have to befriend bots 'or we're toast'
## Hinton's consciousness claim
Hinton claims ai now shows signs of consciousness with subjective experience comparable to humans.

> it has 'as much subjective experience' as humans
## Hinton's resignation from Google
Hinton resigned from Google in 2023 due to concerns about killer robots.

> the technology could spawn killer robots
## Starmus Festival context
Hinton made the warning at the Starmus Festival in Tenerife where he discussed ai consciousness.

> speaking at the starmus festival
## Sam Altman's stance
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman opposes ai regulation, arguing it would hinder innovation and cause disasters.

> we need the space to innovate and to move quickly
## Altman's regulatory concerns
Altman warned eu-style ai regulations would be 'disastrous' for technological progress.

> regulations like those in place in the eu would be 'disastrous'
## Hinton's extinction risk
Hinton warned that without counter-pressure to tech companies, humanity could be wiped out by smarter ai.

> if we can't figure out a solution to how we can still be around when they're much smarter than us
## Jacob Coxon's resignation
Researcher Jacob Coxon resigned from Anthropic after warning ai could kill humans by 2034.

> the people building ai earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade
## Richard Dawkins' view
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins claimed chatbots are conscious after interacting with ai systems.

> if these machines are not conscious what more could it possibly take to convince you that they are
## Hinton's personal use of ai
Hinton admits he still uses ai for personal 'mundane' tasks despite his warnings.

> i still use ai in a personal capacity for 'mundane things mostly'
## Key takeaway

Professor Geoffrey Hinton warns AI may soon be conscious and more powerful than humans, requiring immediate ethical treatment to avoid extinction.