Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Alik Keplicz / AP
In trying to start a dialogue on the looming battle between man and machine, the TED conference turned to an expert on the subject: Chess champion Garry Kasparov, who famously lost a match to IBM's Deep Blue in 1997.
Kasparov argued, though, that it is ultimately a good thing when machines can take on a task formerly limited to humans.
Doomsaying has always been a popular pastime when it comes to technology. We must face our fears if we want to get the most out of our technology and we must conquer those fears if we want to get the best out of our humanity.
The bottom line: Trying to halt the pace of progress is a fool's errand, Kasparov argued. Instead, the goal should be for humans to make the most capable machines they can and focus on how to use that technology.
What's next: This debate will take center stage at TED on Tuesday, with sessions devoted to both "our robot overlords" and "the human response."
Kasparov has a fondness for the time when he could beat 32 of the world's best chess-playing computers at once.
"To me that was the golden age," he said. "Machines were weak and my hair was strong."
But, he noted, technology marches on and it's time for humanity to focus on its own strengths.
"Machines have calculations. We have understanding," he said. "Machines have objectivity. We have passion."
We should not worry about what our machines can do today. Instead we should worry about the things they still can't do. We will need the help of the new intelligent machines to turn our grandest dreams into reality.