Why Robots may be a threat to humanity – Elon Musk
The tech mogul had strong words about AI.
Elon Musk is known for his progressive notions of a future enhanced by technology: humans on Mars, autonomous cars, etc. But Musk’s view of artificial intelligence in the near future is decidedly less sunny.
This past weekend, he called AI a “fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization,” Recode reports.
Musk spoke at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Rhode Island on July 15th, calling on the government to take proactive— “instead of reactive,” he said—precautions around AI.
Right now, AI seems a distant threat, according to Musk. “Until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don’t know how to react because it seems so ethereal,” he said.
That’s why he says we need to start planning now, as it’s inevitable AI will be part of our future. (Musk uses a great analogy for how ubiquitous autonomous cars will be in 20 years, for example, saying that not having one would be like using a horse to get around today.)