Program good ethics into artificial intelligence

What is it that makes us worry about artificial intelligence (AI)? The White House is the latest to weigh in on the possible threats posed by clever machines in a report last week. As two of those involved write in a Comment piece on page 311, scientific and political focus on extreme future risks can distract us from problems that already exist. Part of the reason for this concentration on severe, existential threats from AI comes from misplaced attention on the possibility that such technology could develop consciousness. Recent headlines suggest that respected thinkers such as Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking are concerned about machines becoming self-aware.