United Kingdom, Sept. 25 -- Nick Clegg has dismissed fears that artificial intelligence could develop the "godlike power to exterminate humanity", arguing that some technology leaders are becoming overly focused on hypothetical threats.

The former UK Deputy Prime Minister said policymakers should concentrate on known risks from AI, including cybersecurity and the development of biological weapons, rather than what he described as a speculative scenario in which AI inevitably turns against humans.

Arguing that such warnings could imply AI safety can only be achieved by giving control to a small number of technology companies, Clegg told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think it is perhaps accidentally self-serving."

Clegg, who previous...