London, Dec 3 (IANS): Renowned British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has warned that efforts to create artificial intelligence can be a threat to our very existence.

In an interview to BBC, Hawking said the development of thinking machines could spell the end of the human race.

"Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete and would be superseded," he said.

According to the theoretical physicist, artificial intelligence has so far proved to be very useful but he fears the consequences of creating something that can match or surpass humans.

His warning came in response to a question concerning the revamp in the technology he uses to communicate.

Hawking has a neurodegenerative disorder known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and uses an apparatus developed by Intel Corporation to speak.

In the interview, Hawking also talked of the benefits and dangers of internet.

"More must be done by the internet companies to counter the [terror] threat but the difficulty is to do this without sacrificing freedom and privacy," he added.

Hawking is using a new software to speak, the BBC reported, but has opted to keep the same voice.

"It has become my trademark and I would not change it for a more natural voice with a British accent," he said.