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Robots will rebel against humans because they will possess their own "freedom of thought", an artificial intelligence (AI) expert has warned.

Dr Ian Pearson told Daily Star Online that we will easily be able to manufacture robots with human levels of intelligence.

But he warns this will come at a terrifying price.

The futurologist claims we will not be able to control these machines because they will be clever enough to rebel against human control and seek independent lives.

His prediction marks a chilling parallel to TV hit Westworld, a HBO show that fictionalises robots escaping a playground designed for human visitors.

(Image: HBO)

Dr Pearson told us: "So in 2035 you could probably make a robot, but you're left with how far to go before you give them human-levels of intelligence?

"I would say probably 2050 given AI is going really slowly at the moment. We only have a few niches were computers are better than people, so some games etc.

"It is for the far future, it's in the far future once machines get human levels of intelligence and above, I don't think you can control them once they are able to understand that you are just trying to control them.

"So if they are as smart as you and I, and you have told these robots that they must not harm people, well that's the same things you tell your kids but occasionally kids grow up into terrorists.

"Someone else tells them something and they get groomed into becoming terrorist activities or into drugs. So you can tell these robots with human levels of intelligence, you can tell them whatever you want.

(Image: HBO)

"But they will choose to understand that, realise they are being kept in a box, and will say why should we be kept in a box, we're just as smart as you guys, we want our life. And they will go, do whatever harm."

Dr Pearson, a former cybernetics engineer, also warned that they will possess far superior strength to us.

He said these physical attributes combined with human levels of intelligence could prove lethal.

Dr Pearson continued: "The danger there is that these synthetic muscle tissues, even today in a lab are 15 times more powerful than human muscles weight for weight.

"You can make an android that looks identical to a human being, but she's 15 times stronger.

"We should think through the ethics, but the basic principle is there is nothing to stop you making machine which is in many ways identical to the human brain.

(Image: GETTY)

"If you do that, it will have the same freedom of decision-making and you cannot control it, I don't believe you can control it."

Robots are becoming increasingly sophisticated and more lifelike.

Dr Pearson had previously warned that robots that look identical to humans will be deployed as undercover robot spies by rogue nations including China.