Prince: my latest battle is against ‘crazy’ AI

THE Prince of Wales has expressed his deep concern about the dangers of artificial intelligence, warning of a world becoming “part human, part machine”.

The Prince, interviewed ahead of his 70th birthday, says he “totally and utterly objects” to an “extraordinary trend” for seeking machines to replace human functions, worrying for the effects on people’s well-being.

Saying he finds it “crazy” to strive for ever more integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics with the human experience, he suggests it would eventually lead to people craving the return of traditional crafts.

In the October issue of GQ magazine – out today – the Prince admits he has previously been accused of being controversial, simply for “trying to draw attention to things that aren’t necessarily part of the conventional viewpoint”. He adds: “My problem is I find there are too many things that need doing or battling on behalf of.”

The Prince has carried out public engagements this year to learn more about AI, broadly welcoming its inno- vations. But, he said he now feared for a loss of human interaction and experience.

“The thing I find hardest now is to cope with this extraordinary trend that somehow we must become part human, part machine, which I totally and utterly object to,” he said. “It is crazy to go that far because I think – ironically – the more AI and robotics they want to introduce, the more people will rediscover the importance of traditional crafts, directly human things ... crafted by humans and not by machines.”