Interview: Artificial Intelligence: Thinking Outside the Box (Part One)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer the stuff of science fiction. While robot maids may not yet be a reality, researchers are working hard to create reasoning, problem-solving machines whose "brains" might rival our own. Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh (anglicized as Sean O'Hegarty), while enthusiastic about the benefits that AI can bring, is also wary of the technology's dark side. He holds a doctorate in genomics from Trinity College Dublin and is now executive director of the Center for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. He has played a central role in international research on the long-term impacts and risks of AI.