Elon Musk, known for his investments in Tesla, SpaceX, and more, is making headlines again, this time with his controversial statement about the future of humans. In a leaked email at the end of 2018, Musk expressed his frustration with the former co-founder of OpenAI, a company he helped found to support and develop artificial intelligence (AI) safely and securely.
Leaked emails show Musk’s displeasure with the direction OpenAI is taking, particularly its monetization strategy. Musk criticized his partners for not aligning with his vision and expressed doubts about OpenAI’s future impact, saying: “Unless there is a significant change in implementation and resources, I doubt OpenAI will impact DeepMind/Google.” The probability is measured as 0%.”.
What caught the attention of many was Musk’s assertion that “humanity’s future is in the hands of [REDACTED],” suggesting that a powerful entity or entities were controlling the trajectory of humanity. Musk’s email contained several redacted portions, leaving readers to speculate about whom he was referring to. Some have speculated that he may have been referencing Google, particularly its subsidiary DeepMind, or individuals like Demis Hassabis, the founder of DeepMind, and Larry Page, the former CEO of Google.
Others have suggested that Musk’s remarks could have been directed at Peter Thiel, a fellow PayPal co-founder known for his involvement in Palantir and other ventures. However, Thiel’s focus on data analytics and other areas may make him a less likely candidate in the AI sphere compared to individuals like Hassabis or Page.
In the end, Musk’s enigmatic remarks have raised interest and discussion in the tech world and brought attention to the difficulties and unknowns surrounding the advancement of AI and its potential effects on humankind. Musk’s exact intentions may remain unclear unless he chooses to make public the uncensored versions of the communications.