Noel Sharkey thinks artificial intelligence is an illusion (Image: Rex Features)

Robotics expert Noel Sharkey used to be a believer in artificial intelligence. So why does he now think that AI is a dangerous myth that could lead to a dystopian future of unintelligent, unfeeling robot carers and soldiers? Nic Fleming finds out

What do you mean when you talk about artificial intelligence?

I like AI pioneer Marvin Minsky‘s definition of AI as the science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done by humans. However, some very smart human things can be done in dumb ways by machines. Humans have a …