Efforts to develop artificial intelligence to create thinking machines pose a threat to the very existence of human race, famed British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking warned on Tuesday.
“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race,” the 72-year-old cosmologist and author said when asked about a revamp of the technology he uses to communicate, which involves a basic form of artificial intelligence (AI).
Hawking, who has a motor neuron disease, is using a new system developed by Intel to speak.
Machine learning experts from the British company Swiftkey were also involved in its creation. Their technology learns how the professor thinks and suggests the words he might want to use next.
Hawking says the primitive forms of artificial intelligence developed so far have already proved very useful, but he fears the consequences of creating something that can match or surpass humans.
