Top Google exec says AI will rival humans in just 5 years and predicts we’ll 'colonize the galaxy' in 2030—but he draws the line at robot nurses

Demis Hassabis, chief executive officer of Google DeepMind (Credit: Bloomberg / Getty Images)

• Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis predicted AI smarter than humans will help us “colonize the galaxy,” in as soon as 5 years—but it won’t be the job-killer people fear it is. Rather, he said that the advanced models will usher in a new “golden era”; and others like Bill Gates and Marc Benioff agree that AI will radically change the world of work.

CEOs and the working class are very divided on how AI will shake up the world. Leaders tout the promise of an enhanced work-life, while employees question the future of their jobs. The CEO of Google’s AI research lab, DeepMind, has a more abstract line of thinking: galaxy exploration and “superhumans”—and perhaps sooner than you may expect.