More than 1,000 tech experts, scientists and researchers have expressed their concerns in a letter over the dangers of autonomous weapons. The letter warns that a military AI arms race could have devastating effects on people. The development of killer robots could seize the future of human beings, if steps are not taken proactively.

The letter also had signatures of scientist Stephen Hawking, entrepreneur Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. The details of the letter will be discussed at an international AI conference today.

Committees at the United Nations have recently discussed the issue and considered a ban on certain types of autonomous weapons. Experts are now calling for a specific ban on the use of artificial intelligence for handling weapons as the risk is very high for them to go out of human control.

"Just as most chemists and biologists have no interest in building chemical or biological weapons, most AI researchers have no interest in building AI weapons - and do not want others to tarnish their field by doing so", they said.

The letter is also endorsed by MIT professor Noam Chomsky, Google AI chief Demis Hassabis, and consciousness expert Daniel Dennett.

The text has been published online by the Future of Life Institute (FLI). Delegates of the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Buenos Aires will look into the letter.

Prof. Hawking said in an exclusive interview with the BBC that AI could wipe off humanity from the planet.