--- title: "5 Insane Quotes From Boris Johnson’s Bizarre UN Speech About Tech" description: "Johnson just gave a bizarre speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York about the future of AI, \"limbless chickens,\" \"pink-eyed terminators.\"" date: "2019-09-25" modified: "2019-09-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/insane-quotes-boris-johnson-un-speech" categories: - "Computing" - "Internet Of Things" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "dystopia" - "internet of things" - "uk" - "united nations" --- # 5 Insane Quotes From Boris Johnson’s Bizarre UN Speech About Tech ![]() *\Image: Warner Bros/Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* Sounds like British prime minister Boris Johnson watched too much "Black Mirror" — or fired his speech writer. Johnson gave a [bizarre speech]() at the United Nations General Assembly in New York about the future of evil AI, "limbless chickens," and "pink-eyed terminators." He even threw in a Brexit joke. The timing of the speech is a real head-scratcher — it hasn't even been 24 hours since the UK's Supreme Court [ruled]() that Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks was unlawful. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn even asked Johnson to resign following the defeat on Tuesday, a move that would make him the [shortest-serving prime minister]() of all time. Despite the turbulence, Johnson decided to throw caution to the wind and go out with a bang with an unhinged speech only the likes of Donald Trump could've come up with. To show just how unhinged Johnson's rambling speech was, here's a selection of choice quotes: **"A future Alexa will pretend to take orders. But this Alexa will be watching you, clucking her tongue and stamping her foot."** Alexa, of course, being Amazon's smart assistant — gaining conscience and seemingly turning into a chicken. **"In the future, voice connectivity will be in every room and almost every object: 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."** We all know that the internet of things is adding connectivity to almost any household item out there — but language like this seems needlessly inflammatory and cynical. Does your smart assistant listen to practically anything you say? [Yep](). Will your mattress monitor your nightmares? Seems doubtful. **"AI, what will it mean? Helpful robots washing and caring for an ageing population, or pink-eyed terminators sent back from the future to cull the human race?"** We're not sure what Johnson could possibly be referring to when he says "pink-eyed terminators." We'll stick with [the red-eyed ones](), thanks. **"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."** Is "terrifying limbless chickens" a reference to the recent trend of lab-grown meat? It's hard to tell. **“Should the machines, and only the machines, decide whether or not we are eligible for a mortgage or insurance or what surgery or medicines we should receive? Are we doomed to a cold and heartless future in which computer says yes — or computer says no with the grim finality of an emperor in the arena?”** There have been a [number of debates]() over the question of whether a machine should determine if somebody should die or not. Are the computers about to take away our ability to call the shots? Not even close. Our takeaway: As Johnson continues to peer into the future, maybe he should evaluate his own political career. **READ MORE:** [Boris Johnson gave a deeply bizarre speech about 'limbless chickens,' 'pink-eyed terminators,' and evil Alexa]() \[*Business Insider*\] **More on the apocalypse:** *[Tinder Wants to Pair People Based on Their Apocalypse Strategy]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()