Artificial intelligence sparks a vast spectrum of human expectation, from the apocalyptic – AI will become sentient and destroy us all – to the radiant hope of a vastly “improved” humanity who will live much longer lives of ease and luxury.

Many of the claims, both negative and positive, are doubtless accurate at the same time. There are benefits and costs, and only time will show how great each really is.

AI has been called the biggest shift in information production since the printing press. It is certainly revolutionising our economic and social lives, and I confess to both uncertainty and trepidation. Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov was hugely optimistic with his “three laws of robotics”........

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