In a 2014 BBC interview, the late Stephen Hawking issued a stark warning about artificial intelligence. While using early AI technology to communicate—software that learned how he thought—Hawking praised its usefulness but shared a grim prediction:
“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”
Hawking, who had ALS, relied on a system developed by Intel and SwiftKey to speak. It used basic AI to predict his words. But his concern wasn’t the tech of that moment—it was where it could lead.
He feared that advanced AI might one day “re-design itself at an ever increasing rate,” leaving humanity, bound by slow biological evolution, unable to compete. In that scenario, humans could be “superseded.”
Others like Elon Musk and Bill Gates have echoed similar concerns. With AI now integrated into phones, politics, and everyday life, and tools like ChatGPT booming, Hawking’s warning feels more relevant than ever.
The question remains: are we moving toward a future we can’t control?
