Scared of robots: Bill Gates voices concern about the future of AI

Bill Gates has joined Stephen Hawking in talking about the future dangers of AI, during a Reddit AskMeAnything Q&A discussion.

In late 2014, Stephen Hawking suggested advanced AI could mean the end of the human race, and now former Microsoft head Bill Gates has raised similar concerns.

During a Reddit Q&A, Gates was asked: "How much of an existential threat do you think machine superintelligence will be?"

He admitted: "I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence." He took a somewhat more measured stance than Hawking, but sees AI as a real concern.

"First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent. That should be positive if we manage it well. A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern.

"I agree with Elon Musk and some others on this and don't understand why some people are not concerned," he wrote in the thread.

Strangled by your smartwatch

The issue of AI is very much current, not just in popular culture with films like Ex Machina, but in the real world too, as 2015 will see serious developments in the "smart home" concept.

Google-owned Nest is among the leaders in making smart homes seem mainstream, with its Works with Nest software system already compatible with lots of household appliances, from lights to washing machines.

However, we don't think your kettle and toaster are ready to stage a coup just yet.

via CNET

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