What happens when computers achieve a human level of artificial intelligence (AI)?

Ben Ross, MYOB’s User Experience and Product Management leader, believes that because of advances in hardware and software, it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. As a tech enthusiast, Ross is passionate about the potential of automation and AI. He cites Moore’s Law as a way to illustrate the advances in field, wherein the computing power of machines double every twelve months — a fact that has held true over the last 50 years.

That said, if we average expert predictions, we will reach human-level AI by 2040, and we will achieve super intelligent AI by 2060.

“Even if it takes twice as long — it’s going to happen in yours and my lifetime. This is a thing for our generation,” says Ross in his TED talk. “AI is a pretty powerful thing to contend with. So what sort of future might we have if we have to contend against powerful computers?”

It could be awesome, but it could also be apocalyptically bad.

“We’re at this great point in time where human-level AI is still 25 years away. So we have time to make sure that we guide its pathway forward — ensuring a great outcome instead of bad,” he adds.

Ross expounds further on the importance of having guidelines in place given that we’re at the cusp of an AI revolution in his full TED talk: