- Elon Musk seems pretty chipper about our AI future.
- Musk has long been concerned about the dangers posed by AI.
- However, in a recent interview, Musk focused on some of the tech's positive outcomes.
Is Elon Musk Feeling More Positive About AI?
The billionaire has long touted the technology's potential catastrophic risks, often likening AI to destructive forces like nuclear weapons. Last year, Musk also supported a letter calling for a six-month pause on AI development.
Still, in an interview Wednesday at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with WPP CEO Mark Reid, the Tesla CEO was much more chipper about the tech he's been talking about. .
“It will most likely be good, but we want to be careful about the potential downside,” he said of AI development. “Technology will help you do everything you want to do, and more.”
While Musk reiterated that his position was similar to that of AI godfather Jeffrey Hinton — who has been vocal about the safety of AI — he encouraged the audience to “look on the bright side.”
Hinton has issued several warnings about the potential extinction-level threat of AI, including the risk that it could eventually learn to manipulate humans.
While Musk warned that there is still a 20 percent chance that AI will lead to something terrible, he also said that the glass is still “80% full.”
“In a positive scenario, AI will do its best to make you happy. So it can work very well,” Musk said.
“I think the most likely outcome is one where there is an abundance of goods and services available to anyone; there is no shortage of goods and services for anyone on Earth,” he continued. “It won't be universal basic income; it will be universal high income.”
Musk is working on his own AI projects within Tesla and his startup xAI.
xAI has released Grok, an AI product to compete with chatbots like Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT. Musk has previously criticized Google and OpenAI's offerings as “woke.”
It has tried to isolate xAI's efforts, allowing Grok to respond to users with profanity, sarcasm and sarcasm. Musk has previously said that the company aims for Grok to be “more truth-seeking” and “more curious.”
Musk acknowledged the potential impact of some of these products on the labor force during the Cannes Lions interview, suggesting that the rise of AI could make work optional for people.
This change, he said, could provoke a “crisis of meaning” and raise societal existential concerns.
Nonetheless, Musk seems to be taking his own advice about looking on the bright side. He told an audience member: “This is the most exciting time in all of history. So, enjoy the ride.”