Elon Musk’s Surprising Stance
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has seemingly pivoted on his outlook regarding the potential impact of digital super-intelligence on humanity.
What Unfolded: Recently, Zero Gravity Corporation’s CEO Peter H. Diamandis shared a clip on X, formerly known as Twitter, from the Abundance Summit 2024, a forum conducted between March 17 to 21.
In the footage, Musk deliberates on the juxtaposition of digital super-intelligence as either humanity’s beacon of hope or harbinger of doom.
Musk virtually joined the event and contemplated on the uncertain future, stating, “So, I think there’s some chance that it will end humanity. I probably agree with Geoffrey Hinton, that it’s about, 10% or 20% or something like that. The probable positive scenario outweighs the negative scenario.”
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Musk expressed, “There’s really no meaningful limit to the economic output. So, you know, looking on the bright side, we are headed for a future of abundance. I think that’s the most likely outcome.”
Commenting on the video posted on X, Musk reiterated, “There are a range of outcomes, from terrible to great, but the latter is more likely imo.”
The Significance of Musk’s Shift
Why It’s Noteworthy: Musk’s recent remarks on the impact of digital super-intelligence represent a noteworthy departure from his prior warnings about the perils associated with AI. In 2023, he repeatedly cautioned about the risks stemming from a “benign dependency” on AI, highlighting the potential threat it posed to civilization.
Last year in March, he endorsed an “open letter” urging a pause on developing systems surpassing OpenAI’s GPT-4. However, by November, he confessed signing the letter as a formality, stating that he recognized the futility of the exercise.
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Moreover, Musk recently prophesied that AI might outpace human intelligence in the near future, potentially surpassing the collective intellect of all humanity by 2029.
Criticism has also been directed at Musk by fellow billionaires for his purported pursuit of AI supremacy. Tech magnate Vinod Khosla censured Musk’s legal actions against ChatGPT-parent OpenAI, a company that Musk helped establish in 2015 and departed from in 2018.
Additionally, Reid Hoffman, a member of the “PayPal Mafia,” criticized Musk’s decision to sign the aforementioned “open letter,” suggesting it was motivated by less altruistic intentions, insinuating a desire to maintain his competitive edge.
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