It's the premise of many science fiction novels and movies: Super-intelligent robot machines that can outsmart humans, if not terminate them entirely. But the prospect doesn't exactly frighten some of today's experts in the field. "It's a distraction," said Nigel Duffy, chief technology officer at AI software maker Sentient Technologies. More pressing issues, he said, revolve around the role algorithms play online in determining whether people are allowed to get a mortgage, or establish a line of credit. His remarks were echoed by others in the industry, during a panel discussion on Wednesday at an event in Silicon Valley focused on artificial intelligence.