Video games are one of the most popular forms of entertainment, and the gaming industry has been growing exponentially year over year. The games are played by everyone, regardless of age group, but it is often seen that parents are asking their children not to spend too much time playing them.
The main reason behind this is that the children might get addicted to them and play for long hours, or it might affect their overall growth. This isn’t limited to parents, as several other self-acclaimed “experts” have been labeling video games as something that ruins children’s minds. However, one expert has said that games are actually beneficial for children.
AI Innovator Demis Hassabis Says Video Games Boost Creativity in Children
Demis Hassabis, the co-founder of Google-owned AI company Deepmind, which was bought by Google in 2014, recently spoke to the BBC. He talked about video games and how they can be useful for children and possibly shape their careers in this fast-paced world.
He told the BBC that instead of asking children not to play video games, one should encourage them to play, as it can boost creativity. He added:
It’s important to feed the creative part, not just playing them [games]. You never know where your passions lead, so I would actually just encourage parents to get their children really passionate about things, and then develop their skills through that.
Hassabis said that it can never be known where someone’s passion will take them and said that he would encourage parents to make children “really passionate” about different things and then try to develop their skills through that.
He further added that it is a “very fast-changing world” and children will need to adapt and prepare for what’s to come next and “just embrace that adaptability.” Hassabis said that he grew up playing chess and gaming and added that the latter is one of the things that helped him become successful as a computer scientist and entrepreneur.
Demis Hassabis’ Words Shouldn’t Be Taken Lightly
Demis Hassabis designed and programmed a game called Theme Park during his early childhood. He also founded a video game company and then went on to start DeepMind in 2010 after his degree at Cambridge University, and it was soon bought by Google. DeepMind works on building algorithms and machine programs to play video games and use e-commerce.
Delighted and honoured to receive a Knighthood for services to AI. It’s been an incredible journey so far building @GoogleDeepMind over the past 15 years, helping accelerate the field and grow the UK & global AI ecosystems. Thanks to everyone who helped make this dream possible!
— Demis Hassabis (@demishassabis) March 28, 2024
He revealed on March 29, 2024, that he was given Knighthood for his services to AI and said that it’s been an incredible journey for him to “accelerate the field and grow the UK and global AI ecosystems.” He told the BBC that he doesn’t regret selling his company to Google, as it has required computer power to take things global.
Demis Hassabis has been long in the AI and video games industry, and the introduction and increasing use of AI in games only proves that he is right, and children are encouraged to play and learn from video games and try to navigate what they want to do going forward.
What are your thoughts about Sir Demis Hassabis’ statement on video games? Let us know in the comments.
