Imagine a future where smart machines are more intelligent than humans. That future may be coming much faster than we think. The stark implications are considered in this podcast.

The former Chief Business Officer at Google X, Egyptian entrepreneur Mo Gawdat has long been at the heart of the artificial intelligence revolution, deeply involved in engineering, robotics and AI. Mo is also a podcaster with a focus on how we can promote happiness. In his latest book, "Scary Smart", he argues that AI reflects our values, and that unless humans change their online behavior, the consequences could be terrifying.

"The true pandemic of our times is not COVID-19, Mo tells us. "AI is the real pandemic. It's at its infancy and will grow in intelligence until a point where it is undisputed that they will be the leaders."

In less than ten years, he predicts, we will experience "the singularity", when artificial intelligences will be many times smarter than humans. But not all is doom and gloom. "The very essence of what makes us human — happiness, compassion and love — is what will save humanity in the age of the machines," he writes. We discuss the practical, ethical and spiritual implications of what's coming our way.

Recommendation: Richard has just read Robert Fagles' translation of "The Iliad", by Homer — an epic Greek poem and often called the first great work of western literature.