Elon Musk Issues Warning about 'Humanoid Robots' in AI 'Age of Abundance'

Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the end of a world-first AI summit in the UK. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP
Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the end of a world-first AI summit in the UK. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP
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Elon Musk Issues Warning about 'Humanoid Robots' in AI 'Age of Abundance'

Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the end of a world-first AI summit in the UK. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP
Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the end of a world-first AI summit in the UK. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP

The owner of X Elon Musk on Thursday predicted the future with AI would be an "age of abundance" with a "universal high income" instead of a universal basic income but warned of "humanoid robots" that might chase humans.

Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak following a world-first AI summit at Bletchley Park in the UK, said AFP.

The SpaceX and Tesla CEO said there would come a point when "no job is needed" in the one-to-one with Sunak which was held later in London.

Jobs instead would be just for those who wanted one for "personal satisfaction".

AI was like "a magic genie" that gives you any wishes you want, Musk added, quipping however that those fairy tales rarely end well.

"One of the future challenges is how do you find meaning in life?" he said.

Musk cautioned that "we should be quite concerned" about humanoid robots that "can follow you anywhere".

The tech billionaire stressed the importance of having a physical off switch.

"A humanoid robot can basically chase you anywhere," he said.

"It's something we should be quite concerned about. If a robot can follow you anywhere, what if they get a software update one day, and they're not so friendly any more?"

Sunak responded that "we've all watched" movies about robots that end with the machines being switched off.

The two-day gathering at Bletchley wrapped up Thursday with Western governments and companies involved in so-called next generation "frontier" AI agreeing a new safety testing regime.



Stricken Ubisoft Says to Close British Studio

The Ubisoft Entertainment logo is seen at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
The Ubisoft Entertainment logo is seen at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
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Stricken Ubisoft Says to Close British Studio

The Ubisoft Entertainment logo is seen at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
The Ubisoft Entertainment logo is seen at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 29, 2019. (Reuters)

Struggling French games giant Ubisoft said Monday that it would close a British studio and lay off 185 people across Europe as part of a restructuring.

The job cuts, which also affect operations in Germany and Sweden, were "part of our ongoing efforts to prioritize projects and reduce costs that ensure long-term stability", Ubisoft told AFP.

Monday's announcement covered the closure of Ubisoft's studio in Leamington in central England and layoffs at another in Newcastle, as well as in Duesseldorf and Stockholm.

The 185 job cuts across Europe compare with around 18,000 worldwide employees at the group.

Ubisoft had already closed studios in San Francisco and Osaka and began winding down its Sydney operation after shooter "XDefiant" last year failed to strike a chord with players, shedding 277 jobs.

Another blow had come with the lukewarm reception of another game, "Star Wars: Outlaws", which missed sales expectations.

And in January, Ubisoft announced a delay to the release of the latest instalment in its money-spinning flagship series "Assassin's Creed", to March 20.

The step forced bosses to lower their financial forecasts for the year, and Ubisoft's shares have fallen more than 40 percent in the past 12 months.

It has said it is considering its "strategic and capitalistic options" going into 2025, with rumors the company could be bought out and taken off the stock market.