Why we need to rethink the role robots have in society

Despite these dire warnings, we continue to press ahead in robotics and AI research. Because there is a dissonance between the sci-fi debate and the future role of robots in our society. The first generation of truly smart AI devices is likely to be self-driving vehicles, which offer potentially massive social benefits. From a public safety perspective these benefits are clear. In 2016, 1,810 people were killed on Britain's roads and 25,160 were seriously injured.