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Elon Musk has predicted a “10 to 20%” chance of an AI-related disaster, doubling down on free speech over advertisers’ demands for censorship.
Speaking at Cannes Lions on Wednesday morning, Musk said: “I tend to agree with Geoff Hinton – one of the godfathers of AI – and he thinks there’s a 10-20% chance of something terrible happening.
Musk didn’t specify what he meant by “terrible,” instead adding, “The glass is 80% full. Look on the bright side.”
He continued: “I think the most likely outcome is abundance, where goods and services are available to anyone. None of us is lacking. It would be a universal hike. Work would be optional.”
This could bring with it, he added, a “crisis of meaning”.
“If AI can do everything you can do, but better, what’s the point of doing things? I think there’s going to be an existential crisis,” X’s owner said.
Talking about the “worst case scenario” – the possible destruction of humans by artificial intelligence, Musk pondered: “Would I want to be around to see that? Probably yes.”
He mused that we are “in the most exciting time in history,” then echoed that to the packed audience at the end, telling the room, “Enjoy the ride.
At Cannes Lions, Musk sat down with WPP CEO Mark Read for a wide-ranging talk on topics including the transformative power of technological innovation, how artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity, business and society, and the future of his social media platform.
Doubling down on freedom of speech
After previous battles with advertisers over brand safety issues, it has doubled down on its commitment to free speech on its X platform.
Musk seemed happy to walk into the lion’s den for advertisers, when he was asked on stage about his comment last November that “advertisers can drive themselves crazy”.
He said his comment was not meant to “target advertisers as a whole” and added: “I think it’s important to have a platform for free speech where people from a wide spectrum can express their opinions. And in some cases there are advertisers who insisted on censorship. If it’s a choice between censorship and money and free speech and losing money, we’ll choose the latter.”
He continued: “Advertisers have the right to appear alongside content that is compatible with their brands, that’s perfectly fine, but what’s not cool is to insist that there can’t be any content on the platform that they don’t agree with… Freedom of speech it is the foundation of democracy, and if X is to be the world’s public square, it must be a platform for free speech—within the law. I think it’s absolutely essential that people have the right to speak.”
Asked if, as Xm boss, he regretted any of his own comments on the platform in the past, Musk said: “I shoot myself in the foot from time to time, but at least you know it’s the real thing, not some kind of thing. kind of PR. If you speak freely, there will be times when you’re stupid, of course, but if you’re constantly going through a filter, you’re not real, so I think it’s better to be real than to go through a filter.”
He said he believes the platform continues to be the best way to reach anyone in the world, not just influencers but also “intellectuals”.
“If you want to reach the most influential people in the world, not just social media influencers, but really (those) who run companies, run countries and the intellectuals of the world, the people who write, the X platform is by far the best,” he said. “It’s almost the only way to reach these people.” They don’t watch TV, they don’t make TikTok videos. X is smaller than other social media platforms, but they are the most influential people in the world, so if you want to reach them, this is the best place to go.”
With the US presidential election cycle approaching, Musk said he would welcome any debate on the X platform. However, he did not lean into the political discussion and was content to make it interesting.
Others who have performed at Cannes Lions include Chrissy Teigen and Queen Latifah.