Elon Musk Re-Affirms ‘Fear’ with AI Technology

Lavina Daryanani
Source: CNBC

“AI stresses me out.”

The aforementioned remark made by Elon Musk stood out from the three-hour presentation made to Tesla investors that unveiled company plans. A few days ago, the executive said that all organizations developing advanced AI should be regulated, including Tesla. And the latest remarks reflect Musk’s partially veiled skepticism and reservations about the technology.

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Musk is ‘worried’ about AI

A recent Reuters report pointed out that other executives gave “detailed presentations” showing how Tesla was using AI technology to train vehicles to drive themselves. Nevertheless, when asked by an analyst if AI could help Tesla build cars, Musk did not give an optimistic response. He explicitly said,

“I don’t see AI helping us make cars any time soon. At that point … there’s no point in any of us working.”

Further elaborating on the regulatory aspect, Musk reportedly said,

“I’m a little worried about the AI stuff. We need some kind of, like, regulatory authority or something overseeing AI development… Make sure it’s operating in the public interest.”

Musk went on to assert that Tesla was “doing good things in AI.” The company’s attempt to make its cars drive themselves safely is “obviously useful,” the executive said. However, he paused, then sighed, and said,

“It’s quite dangerous technology. I fear I may have done some things to accelerate it… This one stresses me out. I don’t know what to say about it.”

That said, it should be noted that Musk has not refrained from capitalizing on other AI trends, including ChatGPT. A couple of days ago, the executive contacted AI researchers with the intention of creating a new research facility that will be used to develop ChatGPT alternatives. The initiative is still in its early phases and has no clear strategy to build any particular products. An involved researcher noted that Musk wasn’t looking to build a chatbot with fewer content safeguards.

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