Fear Of Robot Uprising Is Hampering Development Of AI

Talk of artificial intelligence (AI) rising up to thwart humanity in a Terminator-style apocalypse is holding back research and development into the technology, and potentially harming society as a result, claims director of Microsoft Research Chris Bishop. The potential benefit from AI, such as the development of driverless cars and more efficient manufacturing, could revolutionize vast tracts of society, if only we could stop seeing it as something to fear. Talking ahead of the discussion about machine learning at the Royal Society in London, Bishop told the Guardian that humanity "may end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater" if too much of our attention is focused on the negative aspects of AI as depicted by "The Terminator" and Skynet. He says that while he disagrees with the high-profile people who have spoken out against AI, there are still some potential risks, though not in the humanity-ending way that is often depicted. Instead, he says it is likely that AI will develop potentially harmful biases.