In the distant (or not so distant) future, artificial intelligence may become an “immortal dictator” from which we cannot escape. Whatever AI's ultimate goal, it is quite possible that AI will destroy humanity like an anthill. Competing for AI superiority at the national level will most likely cause World War 3. That is more dangerous than nuclear weapons and much riskier than North Korea. Simply put, AI will be the best thing ever to happen to humanity, or the worst thing ever.
Well, wait. Do I really think this is true? No, I'm not that skeptical, but I can imagine all sorts of ways that artificial intelligence can fail sometimes. These words actually come from a guy named Elon Musk. So the question is, does he really believe it?
Elon Musk has long had a reputation as an innovative, ambitious, disruptive and inspiring visionary whose strong personality cult has often allowed him to be demanding, relentless, impatient and sometimes overbearing in his approach to his subordinates.
Talented people were excited to work for Musk, but for many it was also a big challenge — one they were happy to take on.
While such statements have often been controversial in the media, they have also motivated people looking for innovative projects to contribute to. So, “Does he really believe that?” is certainly an important question, both for those working for Musk's cause and those rooting for his projects, whether they succeed or fail.
So when Musk's latest Grok AI was released, the revelation that it didn't have the necessary restrictions and safeguards built in to prevent users from generating malicious content (e.g. realistic, violent imagery) came as quite a surprise. Musk doesn't care; it's clear that his desire to make Grok unawake and different from other competing AI models takes precedence over safety.
Why is it a concern? For years now, Elon Musk has been painting a dark picture of an AI future that will take over the world. Heck, he even founded Neuralink, not just to help people with disabilities, but to eventually merge our minds with machines so we can catch up with them.
Fast forward to today, and we're seeing the very same Elon Musk who is personally encouraging the misuse of artificial intelligence. And he doesn't seem to care. In fact, he seems to enjoy it. Ironic, right?
Despite all the hate Musk has received from the media over the past 20+ years, he has always had a strong community around him — there aren't many individuals or companies in the world that can say they have a news site dedicated to their projects.
However, many people, including myself, have been disappointed with Musk's personal behavior and business decisions over the past few years. So disappointed that I feel it would be wrong to even use his products or services. Think of the Tesla bumper stickers that say, “I bought this before I knew Elon was crazy.”
Musk's vision of the future is an inspiring one, albeit one often painted in dark shades, so it's no surprise that there are still plenty of fans who squint their eyes when he logs into his X account.
But if he continues to undermine the foundations of his vision, Musk will find himself walking on thin ice that will inevitably break…
