"Suppose you want to do one thing that would really kneecap a country that would really mean that in 20 years' time, that country is going to be behind instead of ahead," Hinton told Stewart when pressed on why he thinks the US will lose its AI advantage. "The one thing you should do is mess with the funding of basic science, attack the research universities, remove grants for basic science in the long run. That's a complete disaster."
"They're so small, they're so lightweight, that the best practice is to sweep anything you lose up immediately. But I mean, think about dropping rice on your kitchen floor, it's just difficult, right?"
Basic research conducted by America's universities is pivotal in fostering an entrepreneurial culture, evidenced by collaborations between academia and notable venture capitalists in technology and medicine.
