Former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt warns the U.S. must win the artificial intelligence race against China, but says the systems must also be controlled.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that the power of artificial intelligence can reach a “dangerous” point in the future and that humanity should be ready to step away from it should the time come. “When the system can self-improve,

Schmidt warned that the ability for AI systems to self-improve could be closer than many anticipate, potentially arriving within the next few years. He described a future where these systems not only

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warned that when a computer system reaches a point where it can self-improve, "we seriously need to think about unplugging it." Why it matters: The multi-faceted artificial intelligence race is far from the finish line — but in just a few short years,

The former head of Google (GOOGL) says computers will soon be able to make their own decisions — and humans will need to know when to pull the plug.