Liverpool researchers are developing systems to prove that intelligent components can’t do anything unexpected
Dr Louise Dennis, a Computer Scientist who works in the University’s Centre for Autonomous Systems Technology responds to Professor Hawking’s comments warning of the dangers of Artifical Intelligence:
“We shouldn’t panic too much about this as we are nowhere near close to producing the kind of general Artificial Intelligence (AI) that Professor Hawking is talking about: and there are more pressing problems we need to address about ethics and autonomous intelligence.
“There are AI systems that are being worked on at the moment such as smarter cars and the speaking technology that Professor Hawking refers to that show that there is much to be gained from continuing to develop AI.
“Here at Liverpool, we are developing systems using mathematical techniques to prove that the intelligent components can’t do anything unexpected for example making sure search and rescue robots don’t leave a building until they have searched every room and that robots don’t drop any tools in buildings if they believe they can cause any harm.”
You can listen to Dr Dennis’s interview on Radio Merseyside at this weblink (from 1hour 27mins):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02c4vt0