Chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk has warned against the development of artificial intelligence (AI), declaring it the biggest existential threat there is.

Speaking to students at an event at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Musk shared the latest in a line of dramatic comments on technology today, telling those assembled: I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I were to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, its probably that.

The business magnate went on to describe artificial intelligence as summoning the demon, saying: In all those stories where theres the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, its like yeah hes sure he can control the demon. [But it] didnt work out.

Despite his role in some of the most leading-edge technological companies, including SpaceX, the first private company to have launched a spacecraft into orbit and bring it back to earth, along with the electric car company Tesla, the South African-born entrepreneur pleaded caution, saying: Im increasingly inclined to think that there should be some regulatory oversight, maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we dont do something very foolish.

Multi-millionaire Musk is one of the high-profile investors (alongside Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg) in the company dubbed Vicarious, which aims to build a computer with neural function to replicate that of a humans.

In June, Musk explained this investment as a move designed to merely help keep an eye on whats going on, as opposed to a potential return on capital.

Later this year, he echoed his concerns about artificial intelligence with a tweet warning: We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes.

At this weeks event in Massachusetts, Musk also spoke about the importance of the colonisation of Mars. While travelling to Mars with singular missions was cool, he argued that the planets colonisation would be crucial to changing the future of humanity.

What matters is being able to establish a self-sustaining civilisation on Mars, and I dont see anything being done but SpaceX. I dont see anyone else even trying, said Musk.

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