Key facts
- Elon Musk proposed that leading AI companies should conduct peer reviews of advanced models before release.
- Musk believes AI could surpass human intelligence within approximately five years, ushering in an era of abundance.
- He admitted to being "a little too involved in politics" and "carried away" during his engagement with Donald Trump's administration.
- Musk suggested competitors are better positioned than governments to identify safety issues in AI models.
- He denied that any deaths resulted from cuts made during his time leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and owner of X, discussed artificial intelligence and his political involvement in a recent interview with The Economist.
Musk predicted that AI could surpass human intelligence within approximately five years, envisioning an "age of amazing abundance." He acknowledged his previous concerns about AI posing an existential risk but stated he has reached a philosophical conclusion to embrace the technology's unstoppable momentum, suggesting, "Let's enjoy the ride."
Reflecting on his political activities, Musk admitted he "got a little too involved in politics, got carried away, frankly." He referenced his donations to Donald Trump's campaign and his role in the Department of Government Efficiency, stating the goal was to prevent money from being "wasted or spent on fraudulent activities."
Regarding AI safety, Musk proposed that leading AI companies should conduct regular peer reviews of advanced models before their release. He argued that competitors are better positioned than governments to identify potential safety issues. Musk also reiterated his criticisms of OpenAI, which he co-founded, for becoming a closed-source, for-profit entity, and mentioned his ongoing legal disputes with its CEO, Sam Altman. He praised Anthropic's CEO, Dario Amodei, as "a very principled person."
Musk also flatly denied reports that cuts made during his tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency resulted in any deaths, attributing such claims to "fraudulent organizations" seeking to restore funding.