I don't want to sound callous - people will lose jobs. Kasparov might be described as a techno-optimist, but he does not totally dismiss the fears of AI naysayers who worry that robots will replace jobs once done by humans, from factory workers to truck drivers. While Terminator-style robo-assassins remain the stuff of science fiction, human rights groups are already pushing for international laws to restrict the use of so-called "killer robots", predicting that AI will transform warfare in the years to come.Īt the Web Summit, meanwhile, tech gurus have spent the week discussing more positive potential applications of AI, from intelligent chatbots that boost our mental health to sorting plastic waste. The true threat, the Kremlin critic says, comes from "the dictatorial, totalitarian countries and the terrorists who will use this technology to harm us". The real danger comes not from killer robots but from people - because people still have a monopoly on evil." "There is simply no evidence that machines are threatening us. Whether you like it or not, it's happening," he said.
"We live in a world where machines are playing bigger and bigger roles. When he wasn't busy taking on 10 simultaneous chess opponents at Lisbon's Web Summit this week - handily beating them all in 45 minutes - he spoke to AFP about AI's growing role in society. Kasparov has remained fascinated by technology since his famous matches against IBM's Deep Blue computer in the 1990s.