Software patents have become an anthithesis to the spirit of adventure. They're more of a joyless bureaucratic drudgery that drips of sadness.

Donald Knuth put it best:

> I decry the current tendency to seek patents on algorithms. [...] There are better ways to earn a living than to prevent other people from making use of one's contributions to computer science.

The Art of Computer Programming, Volume III ( via https://lwn.net/Articles/132926/ )

I don't see many academics indulge in sensationalist doomsaying. That's the real difference here. SETI wouldn't and couldn't seek grants by proposing to contact murderous aliens.

I think academics have a general faith in goodwill of intelligence.Benevolence may be a convergent phenomenon. Maybe the mechanisms of reason themselves require empathy and goodness

Hinton makes cliched statements as if he's not given much thought to safety but feels obliged for whatever reason