An open letter has called for the UK government and industry to recognise AI as a “force for good” rather than an “existential threat to humanity”.

The letter, circulated by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, has been signed by 1300 people, including Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, the chief executive of social enterprise Stemettes, which encourages girls and young women to pursue STEM careers, entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Ken Olisa OBE, and Oxford Internet Institution - University of Oxford professor Luciano Floridi, in a bid to “counter AI doom”.

The open letter comes after Elon Musk signed a letter which called for a pause on AI development.

BCS said a move like this would be "unrealistic" and could play into the hands of bad actors.

Another letter from the Centre for AI Safety warned that "mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority".

“The technologists and leaders who signed our statement believe AI won’t grow up like The Terminator but instead as a trusted co-pilot in learning, work, healthcare, entertainment,” said Rashik Parmar, chief executive of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. “One way of achieving that is for AI to be created and managed by licensed and ethical professionals meeting standards that are recognised across international borders.”

He continued: “The public need confidence that the experts not only know how to create and use AI but how to use it responsibly. Yes, AI is a journey with no return ticket, but this letter shows the tech community doesn’t believe it ends with the nightmare scenario of evil robot overlords.”

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