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In this edition, Helena Merriman asks whether we should fear the rise of super smart machines.

At the start of this year, a group of robot makers, ethicists and programmers did something they'd never done before.

They signed an open letter urging those working in artificial intelligence to develop safety measures so that in the future

AI doesn't do more harm than good.

One of the signatories was the leading physicist Stephen Hawking who said this in a recent BBC interview.

I think the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.

What does Professor Hawking mean by full artificial intelligence?

Well, he's distinguishing it from narrow artificial intelligence,

such as speech recognition, or that automated voice when you call your bank.

By full artificial intelligence, Professor Hawking is referring to a scenario where machines match

human intelligence with the ability to reason and understand the

complexities of language and emotion.

Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it would take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever increasing rate.

Humans who are limited by slow biological evolution couldn't compete and would be superseded.

Elon Musk, the technology entrepreneur, has also warned about the future of AI, describing it as humanity's greatest threat, more dangerous

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