the changes artificial intelligence will bring are "more profound than...electricity or fire," the Verge reports.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in an interview with MSNBC and Recode that the changes artificial intelligence will bring are "more profound than...electricity or fire," the Verge reports.

Why it matters: Google is a leader in AI development, per the Verge. Pichai said, as with fire, humanity needs to embrace AI for its benefits, but also understand there can be downsides: "History shows that countries that pull back don't do well with change. So you have to embrace the change."

• Go deeper: Microsoft wrote the book on AI and its role in society.