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 [email protected].

Further reading:

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

Please like and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. Want to share feedback? Or have a suggestion for a guest that we should have on next? Leave us a comment on YouTube and stay tuned for future episodes.