Elon Musk’s Friendship with then-Google CEO Ended Over AI: Book
Elon Musk is a business magnate, inventor, and engineer who is known for co-founding PayPal and Tesla Motors. However, he may also be known for his outspoken stance on artificial intelligence (AI) and how it poses a great threat to humanity. In fact, his views on AI ended his friendship with then-Google CEO, Larry Page.
The Friendship Between Elon Musk and Larry Page
Before their fallout over AI, Elon Musk and Larry Page were known to be friends and even shared a love for flying. Both men even invested in an electric plane start-up called Zee.Aero. However, things took a turn for the worse when Musk started to become more vocal on his concerns regarding AI.
Elon Musk’s Stance on AI
Elon Musk’s views on AI can be best summed up by one of his tweets, “If you create a super powerful AI, that AI will be better than humans at creating a better AI. So it’s imperative that it be contained.” Some may think that Musk’s views on AI are far-fetched, but he has a valid point.
Musk believes that AI poses a huge threat to humanity, especially if it surpasses human intelligence. He has even compared AI to summoning a demon and has expressed his concern that AI could potentially turn on humans and render the human race obsolete.
Furthermore, Musk’s concern over AI may come from his position as the CEO of Tesla. Musk believes that the advancement of AI could lead to self-driving cars that could turn against their owners or worse, crash and cause fatalities.
The Fallout between Elon Musk and Larry Page
According to an excerpt from Ashlee Vance’s book, “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future,” Page and other Google executives disagreed with Musk’s views on AI. In fact, Page thought that Musk was overreacting and dismissed his concerns.
Musk, on the other hand, felt that Page was not taking the issue seriously and even accused him of not understanding the potential consequences of AI. This led to a heated conversation between the two and ultimately ended their friendship.
The Implications of Musk and Page’s Fallout
The fallout between Musk and Page has implications that go beyond their personal relationship. As two of the most influential tech giants, their differing views on AI could lead to a split in the tech industry.
Page and Google have invested heavily in AI technology and have even created a separate subsidiary, DeepMind, to focus on AI research. Musk, on the other hand, has warned of the potential dangers of AI and has called for stricter regulations on its development.
If Musk’s warnings about AI turn out to be true, then his position on the issue could be seen as the more prudent one. However, if Musk is wrong, then he could be viewed as a fear-monger who hampered the development of a technology that could benefit humanity.
The Future of AI
The development of AI is inevitable, and its implications go beyond the tech industry. AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, transportation, and even law enforcement. However, Musk’s concerns are not unwarranted.
The development of AI must be done with caution and with the well-being of humanity in mind. Musk’s warnings about the potential dangers of AI should not be dismissed outright but should be taken seriously.
In Conclusion
Elon Musk’s friendship with then-Google CEO, Larry Page, ended over their differing views on AI. Musk believes that AI poses a great threat to humanity, while Page dismissed his concerns. Their fallout has implications that go beyond their personal relationship and could lead to a split in the tech industry.
The development of AI must be done with caution, and Musk’s warnings about its potential dangers should not be ignored. As we move forward with the development of AI, we must keep in mind its impact on humanity and strive to ensure that it benefits humanity rather than poses a threat to its existence.