Just like the opening scenes of a terrible sci-fi film, it seems we are approaching the end days, as experts claim robots are on the verge of taking over.
That’s right, humankind are about to be outdone performance-wise by the AI machines we have created to help ourselves.
Well, we were warned.
The new data, collected from 352 artificial intelligence researchers from around the globe, has concluded that within 120 years all human jobs will be automated and done by robots.
But it isn’t just your great grandchildren who’ll be fighting AI at the job centre; researchers believe there is a 50% chance of AI outperforming humans in all tasks in 45 years time.
That’s only 2062.
The team at the University of Oxford and Yale University, who pooled the responses to the survey, said that even sooner than that AI will outperform humans at translating languages (by 2024), at writing high school essays (by 2026) and driving a truck (by 2027).
By 2031, AI will be better at working in retail, it will be able to write a bestselling novel by 2049, and work as a surgeon by 2053.
And Asian respondents believed that those dates would be much sooner than their North American counterparts.
Katja Grace, at Machine Intelligence Research Institute, said: “Advances in artificial intelligence will transform life by reshaping transportation, health, science, finance and the military.
“These results will inform discussion amongst researchers and policymakers about anticipating and managing trends in AI.”
It was only in February this year that AI defeated four world-class poker players, a victory that researchers said would pave the way for the introduction of AI into a range of business negotiations.
And in January, a Japanese insurance company replaced 34 workers with an AI system.