Elon Musk has made an ominous warning about artificial intelligence (AI), suggesting it could be the cause of a third world war.

His comment was in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin who said Friday that the first global leader in AI would "become the ruler of the world."

"China, Russia, soon all countries w strong computer science. Competition for AI superiority at national level most likely cause of WW3 imo (in my opinion)," the Tesla and SpaceX CEO tweeted Monday.

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Putin said that the development of AI raises both "colossal opportunities" and "threats that are difficult to predict."

"Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world," he said at a meeting with students on Friday.

The United States is generally considered to be the nation leading the charge towards AI currently, with tech giants like Google and Microsoft pouring large amounts of cash into research and development projects.

But last week, a report by Goldman Sachs found that China could have the AI capability to catch up with the U.S.

"We believe AI technology will become a priority on the government's agenda, and we expect further national/regional policy and funding support on AI to follow," the investment bank said.