- Elon Musk has been pretty bullish about the future of AI.
- Musk has long been concerned about the risks posed by AI.
- But in a recent interview, Musk highlighted some positive outcomes of the technology.
Is Elon Musk becoming more positive about AI?
The billionaire has long spoken out about the potentially catastrophic risks of AI technology, likening it to destructive forces like nuclear weapons. Last year, Musk supported a letter calling for a six-month moratorium on AI development.
But in an interview with WPP CEO Mark Read at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on Wednesday, the Tesla CEO sounded much more positive about the technology, which he has previously been outspoken about.
“It's probably a good thing, but I want to be careful about the potential downsides,” he said of AI developments. “The technology is going to enable us to do whatever we want to do, and more.”
Musk repeatedly drew parallels with AI godfather Geoffrey Hinton, who has been a vocal advocate for AI safety, but urged the audience to “look on the bright side.”
Hinton has warned several times about potential extinction-level threats from AI, including the danger that AI could eventually learn to manipulate humans.
While Musk warned that there's still a 20% chance that AI will do something terrible, he also joked that the “glass is 80% full.”
“In a positive scenario, the AI will do its best to make you happy. So, it could work out pretty well,” Musk said.
“I think the most likely outcome is that there will be an abundance of goods and services available to everyone, and there will be no shortage of goods and services for anyone on the planet,” he continued. “And that will not be a universal basic income, but a universal high income.”
Musk is working on his own AI projects both at Tesla and within his own startup, xAI.
xAI has released an AI product called Grok to compete with chatbots like Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT. Musk has previously criticized Google and OpenAI's products as “woke.”
“The Grok AI is a game changer. It's …
In his Cannes Lions interview, Musk acknowledged some of the potential impacts these products will have on the workforce, suggesting that the rise of AI could make jobs optional for humans.
He said the change could create a “crisis of meaning” and raise existential concerns for society.
Still, Musk seems to be following his own advice to look on the bright side, telling one audience member: “This is the most interesting time in history, so enjoy the journey.”
