Are fears of artificial intelligence justified?

We tend to overestimate the importance of our conscious mind. The truth is that our brain does way more than we are consciously aware of. In short, we're not experts on what it means to be a human.

Given that, there have to be limits to how well a programmer can design AI to mimic humanity. There are deep, dark, mysterious aspects to us that computers can't understand, because we can't understand them well enough to add them to the programs!

That's not to say we shouldn't be cautious, or even afraid. There are plenty of cautionary tales about how humans have unleashed powers they can't control.

But there's no guarantee AI will be able to replace humans.