Elon Musk donated $10 million to ensure robots don’t eventually murder you

ELON Musk has never been shy about voicing his concerns over the advancement of artificial intelligence. Now he is putting his money where his mouth is and it could help save us all.

Robot in scene from film ''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines''.

BILLIONAIRE inventor and futurist Elon Musk, has not been shy about his concerns over our march towards artificial intelligence.

Now the CEO of Tesla and Space X has taken things into his own hands and donated $10 million to ensure that the research and development of AI remains safe and beneficial for humans.

The donation was made to the Future of Life Institute (FLI) which describes itself as an organisation “working to mitigate existential risks facing humanity.”

The FLI will oversee the distribution of the money through a number of grants to researchers working in the field of artificial intelligence.

“The plan is to award the majority of the funds to AI researchers and the remainder to AI-related research involving other fields such as economics, law, ethics, and policy,” the institute explained in a press release.

“Building advanced AI is like launching a rocket. The first challenge is to maximise acceleration, but once it starts picking up speed, you also need to focus on steering,” said Skype founder and one of the FLI’s founders, Jaan Tallinn.

DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 13: Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, speaks at the 2015 Automotive News World Congress January 13, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. More than 5,000 journalists from around the world will see approximately 45 new vehicles unveiled during the 2015 NAIAS, which opens to the public January 17 and concludes January 25. Bill Pugliano/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

In addition to research grants, the program will also include meetings and outreach programs aimed at bringing together academic AI researchers, industry AI developers and other key constituents to continue exploring how to maximise the societal benefits of AI.

While the FLI hasn’t provided any specifics about what it hopes to see out of the research, they did provide a list of guidelines and priorities earlier in the week.

Mr. Musk has been consistently vocal about his concerns regarding the advancement of AI. In the past he has said it could be “potentially more dangerous than nukes” and has even evoked scenes from the Terminator films.

Speaking about his donation he continued to stress the importance of the work to keep AI safe for humans. “When the risk is that severe, it seems like you should be proactive and not reactive,” he said.

FILE - In this March 2, 2014 file photo, Talulah Riley, left, and Elon Musk attend the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, in West Hollywood, Calif. Musk and his wife are divorcing for a second time. The entrepreneur and his wife, Riley, issued a joint statement Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014, announcing they are splitting amicably after they remarried in July 2013 following their previous breakup. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)