Ever since Stanley Kubrick's homicidal computer HAL 9000 hit our screens in 2001: A Space Odyssey there has been a growing concern that ever improving technology will one day outsmart humans.

And it seems those fears have come sooner than expected for authorities at Tsinghua University in China.

That's after they were forced to shut down a much lauded intelligent computer system at its library when it appeared to have 'learned' a host of X-rated remarks.

According to the Beijing News the library's sassy assistant Xiaotu had been programmed to answer more than 10,000 questions about borrowing books and searching for essays.

But as a result of pranks by students it now has now been taught 40,000 responses for users, many of which have been deemed too saucy by the university.

Red faced authorities have had to shut down the service now but hope to 'retrain' it before the start of the next term.

According to the Beijing News a typically smutty response has been given to the question 'Can I touch you, Xiaotu' to which the intelligent computer replies 'Sure, but there's 20 Yuan extra charge.'

It is also said to respond to the question 'do you have a husband' with the cheeky retort 'just you, honey.'

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I'll take it over the ones that want to exterminate the human race.