Hawking: RISE of the MACHINES could DESTROY HUMANITY

Professor Stephen Hawking has given his new voice box a workout by once again predicting that artificial intelligence will spell humanity's doom.

In a chat with the BBC, Hawking said “the primitive forms of artificial intelligence we already have have proved very useful, but the I think the development of true artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”

Hawking argues that “once humans develop artificial intelligence, it will take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate.”

“Humans limited by slow biological evolution cannot compete and will be superseded.”

Hawking also touched on the internet in the interview, suggesting it has “speeded up communications and research, but at a high cost in privacy.” He declared pornography and “threatening messages” to be “drawbacks” and then said GCHQ feels the internet has become “the command centre for criminals and terrorists.”

“More must be done by internet companies to counter the threat, without sacrificing freedom and privacy,” he said.

Just what must be done was left unexplored. ®