Stephen Hawking is hosting a week-long Q&A on Reddit next week

The Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) has witnessed many science geniuses like Bill Nye and Neil DeGrasse Tyson, but the person who was on top of the wish list was Stephen Hawking. Instead of answering questions for an hour though, which is usually how AMAs occur, Hawking will be answering anything you have to ask for just over a week.

If you have some questions on AI that can only be answered by one of the top minds in theoretical physics, you’re in luck. And even if you are busy on Monday and can’t make it, he will be answering questions throughout the week. In this case, users can submit questions during the next week, starting Monday at 8 a.m. with the deadline being on Tuesday, 4 August. Hawking, who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, uses a computer to communicate.

Hawking is widely considered one of the most brilliant physicists to have ever lived, and his book “A Brief History of Time”, an exploration of black holes and other cosmological subjects, spurred heated scientific debate and became a national best seller for years. The letter’s accompanying documentation noted the benefits but also warned of the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence if we allow it to expand beyond our control.

How should the ability of AI systems to interpret the data obtained from surveillance cameras, phone lines, emails, etc., interact with the right to privacy?

The Q&A session was made possible by Nokia and Wired as part of their #MakeTechHuman initiative, whose goal is to promote discussions about how technology can be used to improve humanity. The forum’s manager, Victoria Taylor, was dismissed without any public reason last month, with Reddit ownership allegedly asking the forum’s unpaid moderators to take over, which included appointing Q&A sessions with celebrities.