Artificial Intelligence - should we be scared?

"The primitive forms of artificial intelligence we have have proved very useful. But I think the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Once humans develop artificial intelligence it will take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete and would be superseded." - Stephen Hawking

Although I respect Mr. Hawking I think he might be missing the point.  I see AI and other things influenced by technology such as the Internet of things (IoT), wearable technology, etc. as taking humanity to another level.  Whereby we can use our brain and heart power for more useful things than we have up until now.

Technology is an enabler and as with any tool it can do good things and it can also do not so good things.  It's like a knife which can be used to prepare food and nourishment or can be used as a weapon.

Whether we like it or not technology is becoming an integral part of our lives - the key is it's application and use kind of like most anything in life, moderation is key.

There are times when it's wonderful to go offline and spend time in nature without the distractions that today's connected world offers......but that's for another blog post. :)