Chess grandmaster: AI won’t cause the downfall of mankind

Garry Kasparov believes humans should cooperate, not fear, artificial intelligence

The man widely considered to be one of the greatest chess players of all time said humans shouldn’t fear artificial intelligence.

Garry Kasparov told FOX Business' Gerry Baker on "WSJ at Large," those who are warning AI will replace us are just wrong.

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“I’m really concerned about the doomsayers, all these doomsayers that are trying to terrorize our minds,” he said. “And maybe we should stop watching too many Hollywood movies because the future is for our making.”

"I’m arguing that we have to work with machines, and there’s the endless opportunities that will actually bring more benefits than problems, as it’s happened many times before.”

- Garry Kasparov, chess grandmaster

Kasparov should know about the power of AI. His defeat in 1997 by the IBM computer, Deep Blue, is considered the major turning point in the argument over whether machines could ever outthink humans.

“My experience [is] fighting machines,” he said. “But now, I’m arguing that we have to work with machines, and there’s the endless opportunities that will actually bring more benefits than problems, as it’s happened many times before.”

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Kasparov is author of the book, “Deep Thinking:  Where Machine Intelligence Ends and Human Creativity Begins,” based on what he learned from his battle with Deep Blue.  And he believes that while AI will be disruptive to the workforce, that won’t spell gloom and doom for employees.

Grandmaster chess player Garry Kasparov taps the clock after a move in a match against grandmaster Fabiano Caruana on Aug. 18, 2017. (BILL GREENBLATT/AFP via Getty Images)

“The machines always helped us,” he points out.  “Yes, they always create problems. Obviously many industries are just, you know, facing their end, but jobs do not disappear. They evolve.”

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But to what level of purely human achievement can computers actually reach?  Kasparov isn’t sure, but even so, he’s betting on mankind to come out on top.

The Russian essayist and activist Garry Kasparov at the Excelsior Hotel in Rome. Rome, May 20, 2016 (Photo by Mondadori via Getty Images)

"Maybe we should stop watching too many Hollywood movies because the future is for our making.”

- Garry Kasparov, chess grandmaster

“Machines could do many, many, many things,” he admits.  “We don’t know their limits, but I think it’s what we should, you know, consider that our imagination, our dreams will not be limited.”

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