Elon Musk has said that his AI will be designed to be “maximally truth-seeking” in order to understand the universe. | Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images.
Elon Musk, known for his ventures in the tech world, has recently made headlines with his latest politically incorrect startup, Neuralink. Drawing parallels to his electric car company Tesla, Musk envisions Neuralink becoming synonymous with cutting-edge AI technology. However, skeptics from both the tech industry and Washington express concerns that Neuralink could become the "Truth Social" of chatbots, failing to achieve the success of market leaders.
With his takeover of Twitter, Musk aims to combat what he refers to as the "woke mind virus." The launch of xAI extends his crusade against progressive values into the politically charged realm of emerging technology. Additionally, Musk's role as the de facto leader of a faction of Silicon Valley libertarians aligning with Republicans is further solidified.
During the launch event, Musk argued that politically correct AI is perilous, drawing comparisons to HAL 9000, the treacherous AI depicted in Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: A Space Odyssey." Musk asserts that his AI will prioritize truth-seeking to understand the universe, claiming that a curious AI would safeguard humanity due to the inherent fascination it finds in humans.
However, tech experts find this argument unconvincing and question the plausibility of an advanced AI system deeming humans too interesting to harm. Divyansh Kaushik, an emerging tech specialist at the Federation of American Scientists, dismisses Musk's reasoning as reminiscent of nonsensical outputs from ChatGPT, a chatbot.
Critics argue that Musk's vision risks conflating data with truth and highlight the potential dangers of an AI system becoming indifferent or hostile toward humans once it has learned all there is to know from them.
While some experts hesitate to dismiss Musk's ideas outright, emphasizing the need for diverse approaches to AI development, others acknowledge the technical prowess of xAI's founding team, which reportedly comprises seasoned professionals from Google and OpenAI.
Nevertheless, critics have already scrutinized the team's all-male gender composition, sparking controversy. A friend of Musk suggests that critics would have found fault with the venture regardless of the individuals involved.
Apart from political aspects, Neuralink aims to enhance AI's mathematical reasoning capabilities, an area where current models often fall short. However, Washington tech veterans point out non-technical challenges to Musk's libertarian AI vision. Compliance with diverse global laws and regulations, as observed on Twitter, presents significant hurdles to achieving true libertarian AI.
Concerns also arise regarding the legal implications of xAI, as the venture's current legal department reportedly stands at zero. Questions surface regarding potential misuse of xAI chatbots to evade discrimination laws or provide guidance on dangerous activities.
While Musk's political leanings continue to evolve, his management of Twitter has drawn both admiration and criticism. Left-leaning users have sought alternative platforms, and declining revenues have been partly attributed to advertisers distancing themselves due to Twitter's hands-off content moderation approach.
As Musk enters the next phase of his trajectory from progressive darling to "Based AI" ally aligned with the GOP, he remains ambiguous about the political dimensions of his AI project during the launch event. Musk's subdued demeanor, focusing more on technical aspects and inviting engineers to contribute, suggests a shift in emphasis.
When asked if he would meet with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss AI, Musk responded affirmatively, showcasing a willingness to engage in discussions on the technology's discrimination risks.
While Musk's AI venture unfolds, he alludes to its potential application in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, a topic that has recently captured attention beyond culture war disputes. Musk provocatively asks why there is a lack of evidence of aliens, humorously remarking that if anyone would have spotted them, it would probably be him.
Read the full story: @politico.com
