While its backers believe the rise of AI will allow us to cure disease, end poverty, reduce road accidents and slow climate change, critics say progress is being prioritised with little thought for the implications, and that this could have worrying consequences. The Partnership, which the companies say will be governed by a board featuring an even split of corporate interests and non-corporate ones such as academics and non-profits, will seek to share research and decide on ethical guidelines for the industry. Murray Shanahan, a professor of Cognitive Robotics at Imperial College London, said: "A small number of large corporations are today the powerhouses behind the development of sophisticated artificial intelligence. The inauguration of the Partnership on AI is a very welcome step towards ensuring this technology is used wisely." On Wednesday night, the project unveiled a list of eight rules that it will live by.