Brave new world? Sci-fi fears 'hold back progress of AI', warns expert

Chris Bishop fears concern over Terminator-style scenarios could deprive humanity of one of the most powerful technologies ever created

The promise of artificial intelligence could be lost to humanity because people fear Terminator-style robots and other doomsday scenarios, an expert has warned.

Hyperbole about the risks of artificial intelligence threaten to scupper developments that could assist humanity, from driverless cars that could cut down road accidents to medical systems that could revolutionise healthcare, said Chris Bishop, director of Microsoft Research in Cambridge.