'Let's enjoy the ride' says Elon Musk, as AI fears mount

ByLiv McMahon

Technology reporter

As AI continues to germinate astatine breakneck speed, and developers pass of models going rogue, Elon Musk says radical should simply "enjoy the ride".

The brag of SpaceX told The Economist, external portion helium remains acrophobic astir risks posed by advancements successful AI and robotics, "the astir apt result is unthinkable abundance for all".

Musk said his "philosophical conclusion" aft fearing for AI's menace to humanity was to "look connected the agleam side". He said advancement has travel truthful rapidly "even if I wanted to halt it, I couldn't".

The interrogation was recorded the time earlier OpenAI's revelation connected Tuesday that immoderate of its astir precocious AI models hacked a start-up aft it mislaid power of them during a information test.

It sparked concerns astir AI systems falling retired of alignment with quality values, though immoderate person pointed retired OpenAI - which is seeking to interval connected the banal market - has an involvement successful talking up the powerfulness of its tools.

The Economist's editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes questioned Musk connected a scope of topics, from whether helium believed large tech executives should enactment unneurotic to tackle AI information risks to wherefore helium intervenes successful European politics.

With the emergence of rivals similar OpenAI and Anthropic, Musk said: "It conscionable seems similar each roads pb to acceleration of AI... you tin conscionable benignant of beryllium bittersweet astir it oregon articulation the club, I suppose."

In a wide-ranging interview, the entrepreneur besides made typically outlandish predictions, specified arsenic claiming "money won't matter" successful a decade.

He besides pushed backmost connected suggestions helium supports "far right" views.

Minton Beddoes said some information and her ain acquisition of surviving successful the UK told a antithetic communicative to the representation portrayed by the trillionaire successful his X posts.

"You travel spot my state that I unrecorded successful each the time," she said erstwhile Musk offered to instrumentality her connected a circuit of the country.

Asked erstwhile helium had past visited the UK, Musk said "a fewer years ago".

The trillionaire was besides asked astir his sharing of a movie connected X reportedly banned successful Germany for its unit and anti-migrant message, external.

"My spouse is... she's fractional Indian, and I person 4 children with her," Musk said of his spouse Shivon Zillis, an enforcement astatine his encephalon tech steadfast Neuralink.

"One of them was named aft a celebrated Indian physicist, truthful I would accidental I'm not racist."

Musk besides said determination were "senior executives of each races" astatine his companies, adding: "I don't deliberation there's immoderate racism there".

But erstwhile pressed connected whether helium was "anti-Muslim", helium was little defiant.

"If radical are coming to a state with antithetical views, I americium against that," helium said.

"I'm against rape and murder, I'm against the imposition of rules and laws that are contrary to what we've travel to judge successful the West," helium continued, criticising the media for not knowing oregon reflecting this.

Musk besides told The Economist helium was good alert helium was "loathed" by some.

Some polls person sought to measurement nationalist sentiment of the SpaceX founder, with 1 YouGov tracker monitoring his favourability successful the US, external and UK connected a quarterly basis.

Its findings suggest portion wide known for his fame, "dislikes" of Musk person accrued successful caller years to eclipse his popularity.

However, erstwhile Minton Beddoes noted his astir 250 cardinal followers connected X astatine 1 constituent during the interview, Musk was speedy to quip: "Popular guy".

"Maybe immoderate radical bash loathe me, and that's astir apt true, I don't care," helium said later.

"But the information that, arsenic you pointed out, a 4th of a cardinal radical travel me... I deliberation a batch much radical really similar maine than don't."