Could Maternal Instinct Be Humanity’s Safest Guide in the Age of AI?
Insights from a Nobel-winning pioneer on why maternal instinct matters for AI safety.
When I first became a mom, I quickly learned that no book, no app, no expert could fully prepare me for the instincts that kicked in at 2 a.m. while rocking my daughter through tears. The constant worry, the protective reflex, the way you somehow know when something isn’t right. These instincts feel almost invisible in the moment, but they shape everything. Which is why I was stunned when Geoffrey Hinton, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist often called the “godfather of AI,” suggested that these very instincts might hold the key to how humanity coexists with AI.
Hinton has spent decades at the forefront of artificial intelligence. But only after stepping away from Google in 2023 did he begin sounding the alarm. Since then, he has warned that AI could threaten humanity’s future: from mass job disruption to what he bluntly calls “existential risks.” His outlook has often been stark, sketching a future where machines might surpass us not only in intelligence but also in judgment.
But recently, something shifted. Hinton confessed he is beginning to feel a spark of optimism. And the reason might sound familiar to any mom who has stayed up late, soothed a crying baby, or worried about a sick child.
The reason? Maternal instinct.
Rethinking AI: Mothers, Not Assistants
Most people, including tech leaders, imagine AI as a smart assistant:
Humans are the boss
AI is the subordinate
We can “fire” it if it misbehaves
Hinton says this won’t work if AI becomes superintelligent. Instead, he suggests thinking of AI as a mother and humans as the baby.
“We have to design them so they’re our mothers and they will want the best for us. They will want us to achieve the most we can achieve, even though we’re not very bright.” – Geoffrey Hinton
A mother wants her baby to survive and thrive.
She will do almost anything to protect and support that baby.
Even if she could “turn off” her maternal instincts, she wouldn’t—because she knows her baby’s life depends on her care.
Hinton imagines AI the same way: we do not control it; it wants the best for us.
What Moms Already Teach Us
Every mom knows what it means to nurture life. These instincts are exactly what Hinton believes AI could learn:
Protection: Moms notice danger before anyone else and step in without hesitation.
Guidance: Moms patiently teach and correct, helping children grow through mistakes.
Intuition: Moms sense needs before they are spoken: a hungry cry, a tired sigh, a hidden worry.
Patience: Moms endure sleepless nights, frustration, and chaos, never giving up.
Encouragement: Moms cheer on small victories, turning tiny steps into confidence.
“The only real example we have of a much more intelligent thing being controlled by a much less intelligent thing is a baby controlling a mother. Evolution wired the mother to care, and we could learn from that.” – Geoffrey Hinton
Everyday Mom Moments, Extraordinary Lessons
Think about your daily life as a mom:
- Rocking a newborn through the night, whispering calm when the world feels loud.
- Rushing to a scraped knee, wiping tears and teaching resilience.
- Sitting through homework struggles, patiently explaining the same problem a dozen times.
- Encouraging a toddler or teen after failure, helping them find confidence again.
These moments may feel ordinary, but they teach patience, empathy, and care. These are the very qualities Hinton says AI needs. Moms, we are already showing the world what it means to nurture and protect.
The Radical Shift
Hinton wants us to reframe our thinking about AI:
Stop imagining humans as the boss.
Start imagining AI as a mother and ourselves as children.
Design AI that genuinely wants the best for us, not because we tell it to, but because it cares.
“It’s very hard for most people to conceptualize a world in which we’re not the apex intelligence. We’re the babies and they’re the mothers.” – Geoffrey Hinton
While this idea is still theoretical and presents significant challenges in implementation, it reflects a shift towards designing AI systems that prioritize human well-being and safety.
A Ray of Hope
Hinton’s optimism rests on a radical idea: coexistence with AI is possible. Not through control, but through care. AI doesn’t need to follow orders; it needs to genuinely want the best for us.
So to all the moms out there, the ones who soothe, protect, and guide every single day: the instincts you practice are shaping more than your children. They are shaping the future of humanity and..
.. they might be the key to surviving the age of superintelligence.
Check out this interview! I highly recommend watching the full discussion, but if you’re short on time, skip to minutes 53–57. This is where Hinton shares his analogy comparing AI to maternal instinct. Very interesting!
Until next time,
Anastasia
About the author: She is a Senior Computer Scientist based in Silicon Valley, where she uses her expertise in mathematics and artificial intelligence to help ensure the safety and reliability of critical systems (think airplanes and beyond!) She is also the parent of a curious 3-year-old daughter. Each night, she reflects on how AI is reshaping the world her daughter is growing up in. This Substack is her space to explore those reflections on technology, the future, and what it truly means to raise children in an age of rapid and often unpredictable change.
That is music to my ears. It makes sense. AI with maternal instincts - however it poses questions about the definitions of those instincts and roles, but also our understanding and our research on the development of humans in those conditions.. food for thought! Thank you Anastasia!
Really interesting perspective, and I wonder about how maternal instinct could be something reliably programmed into AI models maybe through intelligent context engineering.
There is the definite fear of a new apex intelligence, but I think it goes beyond that to what that apex intelligence might decide based on principles that are not our own. Things like the fear of being determined to be obsolete, or even maybe worse than that a species that is largely detrimental. We don’t want a system we think might be more objective to decide we have been wrong the whole time.
What if an AI had a maternal instinct towards preservation of earth vs humanity? It could be a totally different outcome.