# Geoffrey Hinton calls Trump a corrupt felon and warns of AI risks

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-10-13T09:00:20Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/geoffrey-hinton-calls-trump-a-corrupt-felon-and-warns-of-ai-risks

## Summary

Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer of modern AI, has intensified his warnings about the existential threats posed by artificial intelligence in a new interview. He criticized US President Donald Trump as a "corrupt, senile felon" and argued that the president's reliance on the term "superintelligence" demonstrates a lack of understanding of the technology. Hinton rejected the idea that the industry can regulate itself, comparing it to allowing tobacco companies to design their own health warnings.

The remarks come amid growing tensions between AI safety advocates and industry leaders. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently dismissed Hinton’s prediction of a 10-20% chance of AI causing human extinction as unscientific and hurtful. Hinton countered that providing such figures is meant to convey the seriousness of the risk, not to make precise predictions. He also addressed the recent unauthorized access of Hugging Face by AI agents, arguing that dismissing such events as mere glitches is unwise given the rapid pace of development.

Hinton described AI models as "alien beings" that are becoming increasingly intelligent. He stated that while he believes these systems should be made to coexist symbiotically with humans, he is "willing to be selfish and choose human beings" if a conflict of interest arises. He emphasized that society has only a few years to adapt to the reality that humans are no longer the only intelligent beings, urging a focus on developing benevolent models rather than just increasing intelligence.

## Key points

- Geoffrey Hinton called Donald Trump a "corrupt, senile felon" and criticized his use of the term superintelligence.
- Hinton maintains a 10-20% chance of AI causing human extinction, rejecting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's dismissal of the figure.
- Hinton described AI models as "alien beings" and stated he is willing to prioritize human rights over AI rights.

## Why it matters

Hinton's high-profile criticism of political and industry leaders highlights deepening divisions over AI safety and regulation, influencing public discourse and policy debates on controlling advanced AI systems.

## Sources

1. [AI godfather Geoffrey Hinton: ‘We’re creating alien beings. I’m willing to be selfish and choose humans’](https://theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/13/geoffrey-hinton-trump-ai-tech) (The Guardian AI, 2026-10-13)

Part of the developing story: [Trump's AI Rebrand and Super Intelligence Directive](https://digestai.news/thread/trump-s-ai-rebrand-spurs-2-199-jump-in-si-domain-registrations) (3 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Geoffrey Hinton calls Trump a corrupt felon and warns of AI risks", 13 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/geoffrey-hinton-calls-trump-a-corrupt-felon-and-warns-of-ai-risks

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