Channel4 • Getty AI could lead to trouble for humanity

The development of AI, which will see computers effectively THINKING for themselves and becoming sentient, has thrown up a glut of warnings from leading scientists across the world. The nightmare scenario of the computers taking over has also been the stuff of countless sci-fi novels and movies from 2001 A space Odyssey to Terminator and The Matrix. Now a leading Microsoft scientist has added his concerns that humanity is in danger if the development of artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t very carefully handled. Chief envisioning officer at Microsoft UK, Dave Coplin, has warned that experts must contain the threat of AI.

GETTY AI must be handled correctly

Speaking at the AI Summit, Mr Coplin said Artificial Intelligence would change the course of humanity and that the way it was developed needed to be carefully monitored as the science could not help but reflect the characters and the needs of those people doing the developing. He said: "I would argue that AI will even change how we perceive what it means to be human. “We've got to start to make some decisions about whether the right people are making these algorithms.

GETTY Stephen Hawking has warned that AI could conquer us

"What biases will be inferred by those people, by those companies? “These are things we don't know about. This is new. We talk about unchartered territory.” However, he added that if we can manage to do it right, we should be able to expel all fears about the future of AI. He continued: "The way in which we choose to use AI is a reflection of humans, the people, not the machines themselves.

"We are locked in this endless cycle of pointless rhetoric about humans vs machines. We are aware machines can beat us at chess. “They can beat us at Jeopardy. Now they can beat us at Go. They're going to steal our jobs. Hang on! Stop. “When was this ever the dialogue for what we did with technology? Technology is here to augment what we do. Support us to extend our capability.” Unfortunately, Mr Coplin is not the only prominent figure to speak out about the perils of AI.