• Home
  • News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Open Source
  • Hardware
  • Software
  • Security
  • Whitepapers
  • Industry Voice
  • Data Strategy Spotlight
  • Newsletters
  • Whitepapers
    • Inqlogo 120x194
      Five things you should look for in choosing a Testing provider

      Choosing a Testing Partner can be complex.  So what do you look for?  This guide offers insight into the qualities you must look for in choosing a Testing provider.  Download now to learn more.

      Download
      Inqlogo 120x194
      Your questions answered: How to protect your data in the cloud

      The number of successful cyberattacks per year per company has increased by 46% over the last four years. But what really needs to be considered when exploring a solution? What questions need to be asked? Download to find out...

      Download
      Find whitepapers
      Search by title or subject area
      View all whitepapers
  • Follow us
    • Twitter
    • Newsletters
    • Facebook
  • Newsletter
  • Industry Voice
  • Data Strategy Spotlight
The Inquirer
The Inquirer
  • Home
  • News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Open Source
  • Hardware
  • Software
  • Security
  • Trending
  • General election
  • Huawei sues FCC
  • Xerox vs HP
  • Galaxy S11
  • McAfee 2020
The Inquirer
  • Phones

Boris Johnson warns of 'pink-eyed Terminators' in rambling UN speech

This man is in charge of nuclear weapons

Boris Johnson warns of 'pink-eyed Terminators' and 'limbless chickens' in rambling UN speech
Your PM, ladies and gentlemen
  • Carly Page
  • Carly Page
  • @CarlyPage_
  • 25 September 2019
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  •  
  •  
  • Send to  
0 Comments

SCARECROW LOOKALIKE and UK prime minister Boris Johnson has warned of "pink-eyed Terminators" and "limbless chickens" in a rambling speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week. 

In the surreal address, of which the theme was supposedly the challenges and opportunities posed by technology and artificial intelligence (AI), the toddler-like PM warned that "in the future, voice connectivity will be in every room and almost every object" as UN delegates looked on in bafflement. 

"Your mattress will monitor your nightmares; your fridge will beep for more cheese, your front door will sweep wide the moment you approach, like some silent butler; your smart meter will go hustling for the cheapest electricity," Johnson rambled.

"And every one of them minutely transcribing your every habit in tiny electronic shorthand stored not in their chips or their innards  … but in some great cloud of data that lours ever more oppressively over the human race, a giant dark thundercloud waiting to burst. And we have no control over how or when the precipitation will take place."

As if that wasn't enough to make you book a one-way ticket out of this stupid country, things got - if you can believe it - even more bonkers. 

"AI — what will it mean?" the PM asked the bewildered crowd. "Helpful robots washing and caring for an ageing population? Or pink-eyed terminators sent back from the future to cull the human race?

"What will synthetic biology stand for — restoring our livers and our eyes with miracle regeneration of the tissues, like some fantastic hangover cure? Or will it bring terrifying limbless chickens to our tables?"

Though it's unlikely anyone was listening by this point, Johnson went on to warn that "it takes real effort to conceal your thoughts from Google", and he has similar concerns about Amazon too, barking: "A future Alexa will pretend to take orders. But this Alexa will be watching you, clucking her tongue and stamping her foot."

As if BoJo's speech wasn't embarrassing enough, it made just hours after the UK supreme court ruled that his suspension of Parliament was unlawful. Perhaps this was all supposed to be a distraction. 

You can watch Johnson's full PM address below, if you dare. µ 

Further reading

  • Broadband
Boris Johnson fails to back-up showy 'full-fibre by 2025' pledge
  • 19 Jun 2019
  • Security
GCHQ students protecting virtual Boris Johnson from a cyber kicking right now
  • 13 Mar 2015
  • Security
Boris Bikes' location data could be used to track you
  • 11 Apr 2014
  • Phones
London Mayor Boris Johnson asks Apple, Nokia and Samsung to help curb smartphone theft
  • 09 Jul 2013
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  •  
  •  
  • Send to  
  • Topics
  • Phones
  • boris
  • UK government
  • AI

INQ Latest

Comet Lake-S leaks keep hitting earth
Intel Comet Lake-S leak teases AMD-chasing six-core Core i5-10600

Hype for HyperThreading

  • Chips
  • 13 December 2019
Apple's parental controls in iOS 13.3 can be easily bypassed
Apple's parental controls in iOS 13.3 can be easily bypassed

Hey kids, leave them iPhones alone

  • Software
  • 13 December 2019
Opera GX brings gaming-led browsing to macOS
Opera GX brings gaming-led browsing to macOS

The Mac lady sings

  • Software
  • 13 December 2019
Google Assistant gets 'Interpreter Mode' on iOS and Android
Google Assistant gets 'Interpreter Mode' on iOS and Android

Babel in yo ear

  • Software
  • 13 December 2019
Back to Top

Most read

Apple's iPhone 12 won't see a significant price increase, claims Kuo
Apple's iPhone 12 won't see a significant price increase, claims analyst
FTC might order Facebook to stop integrating Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp
FTC might order Facebook to stop merger of Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp
Comet Lake-S leaks keep hitting earth
Intel Comet Lake-S leak teases AMD-chasing six-core Core i5-10600
Windows 7 goes end-of-life in a month
Windows 7 goes end-of-life in a month
Galaxy S11 specs, release date and price: In-the-wild images show chunky camera hump
Galaxy S11 specs, release date and price: In-the-wild images show chunky camera hump
  • Contact
  • Marketing solutions
  • Enterprise IT Events
  • Incisive Media
  • Terms & conditions
  • Policies
  • Careers
  • Twitter
  • Newsletters
  • Facebook

© Incisive Business Media (IP) Limited, Published by Incisive Business Media Limited, New London House, 172 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5QR, registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 09177174 & 09178013

Digital publisher of the year
Digital publisher of the year 2010, 2013, 2016 & 2017