Artificial intelligence ‘could destroy our civilisation,’ Stephen Hawking warns

Could machines really ‘evolve’ into evil, God-like super-brains who could wipe out the human race?

Yes, warns Stephen Hawking, who told a crowd at the launch of The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence that, ‘Creating AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilisation. But it could also be the last unless we learn how to avoid the risks.

Professor Hawking said that artificial intelligence could lead to powerful weapons that think for themselves - similar to the robotic assassin in The Terminator.

Professor Hawking said, ‘Alongside the benefits, AI will also bring dangers, like powerful autonomous weapons, or new ways for the few to oppress the many.

'It will bring great disruption to our economy. And in the future, AI could develop a will of its own - a will that is in conflict with ours.

'In short, the rise of powerful AI will be either the best, or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity. We do not know which.’

Last year, Stephen Hawking joined other technology experts such as PayPal’s Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in calling for a ban on ‘offensive autonomous weapons’ - robot killing machines.

Professor Hawking and 1,000 other colleagues signed a letter presented at the opening of the 2015 International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The letter suggested that robotic killing machines similar to the drones used today could drive a ‘third revolution in warfare’.