Robots are gunning for human spy jobs too. A report Monday by The Next Web asserts that the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) has been exploring AI (artificial intelligence) for decades. Apparently the agency flagged the potential usefulness of automated, electronic spy-craft carried out by computers since the early 1980s.

And the threat of cyber spooks is far from science fiction. According to a CNN report, today's CIA agents are more likely to be tracked electronically than tailed by real people. Worse, this surveillance is constant since machines can work around the clock without sleep.

Now add to that enhanced algorhythms for sifting through the countless digital breadcrumbs humans tend to drop everywhere. That makes innocent gadgets like fitness trackers, GPS navigators, public CCTV cameras, and of course smartphones potential enemy tools.

The CIA does intend to combat this new challenge. Dawn Meyerriecks, deputy director of the CIA's science and technology division, reportedly told CNN the CIA has close to 140 current AI projects. She described one that combines public images from Google street view with known locations of municipal cameras. So armed, human operatives will be able to elude detection in cities across the globe.

The CIA did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.