Godfather of AI will serve as an advisor to Vayu Robotics, a new robot startup

Renowned Canadian computer scientist and psychologist, Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the “Godfather of AI,” announced in May that he would step down from his positions as Vice President at Google and an engineering scholar. He subsequently confirmed his new role as a consultant for the robotic startup, Vayu Robotics.

Established in 2021, Vayu Robotics has pioneered the replacement of traditional sensors such as lidar with artificial intelligence vision. The company prides itself on its ability to operate without relying on detailed map information. Instead, it utilizes minimal real-world imagery for training, empowering robots to autonomously recognize road conditions and operate in an automated fashion.

Nitish Srivastava, the co-founder and CTO of Vayu Robotics, was a doctoral student under Geoffrey Hinton at the University of Toronto. Notably, Srivastava was instrumental in introducing “Dropout,” a technique designed to prevent overfitting in neural networks, thus enabling better adaptation to diverse datasets and more accurate future predictions.

Currently, Vayu Robotics focuses on developing lightweight, low-speed autonomous delivery robots. They have recently secured funding amounting to $12.7 million.

Upon his departure from Google, Hinton articulated his desire for unrestricted advocacy concerning the potential risks inherent in artificial intelligence.

Hinton postulates that generative artificial intelligence may soon catalyze the rapid spread of misinformation. In the long run, this could present myriad challenges, including the advent of fully autonomous weaponry or AI that, after prolonged self-learning, adopts unconventional theories or ideas. If governmental bodies, management entities, and tech industries are unprepared for adequate regulations and effective control measures, artificial intelligence might become uncontrollable.

Hinton’s decision to join Vayu Robotics stems from his belief in the company’s commitment to ethically designed AI with lower associated risks. He is also drawn to the vast potential of the niche market they serve, leading him to assume the role of consultant for Vayu Robotics.