Forget what sci-fi has told you about superintelligent robots that are uncannily human-like; the reality is more prosaic. Inside DeepMind’s robotics laboratory, Hannah explores what researchers call ‘embodied AI’: robot arms that are learning tasks like picking up plastic bricks, which humans find comparatively easy. Discover the cutting-edge challenges of bringing AI and robotics together, and learning from scratch how to perform tasks. She also explores some of the key questions about using AI safely in the real world.

If you have a question or feedback on the series, message us on Twitter (@DeepMind using the hashtag #DMpodcast) or email us at podcast@deepmind.com.

Further reading:

• Blogs on AI safety and further resources from Victoria Krakovna
• The Future of Life Institute: The risks and benefits of AI
• The Wall Street Journal: Protecting Against AI’s Existential Threat
• TED Talks: Max Tegmark - How to get empowered, not overpowered, by AI
• Royal Society lecture series sponsored by DeepMind: You & AI
• Nick Bostrom: Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers and Strategies (book)
• OpenAI: Learning from Human Preferences
• DeepMind blog: Learning from human preferences
• DeepMind blog: Learning by playing - how robots can tidy up after themselves
• DeepMind blog: AI safety

Interviewees: Software engineer Jackie Kay and research scientists Murray Shanahan, Victoria Krakovna, Raia Hadsell and Jan Leike.

Credits:
Presenter: Hannah Fry
Editor: David Prest
Senior Producer: Louisa Field
Producers: Amy Racs, Dan Hardoon
Binaural Sound: Lucinda Mason-Brown
Music composition: Eleni Shaw (with help from Sander Dieleman and WaveNet)
Commissioned by DeepMind