WATCH Elon Musk: ‘AI Poses Civilizational Risk’

Elon Musk recently participated in a closed-door meeting with other big tech and industrial giants.

The billionaire has long warned of the potential dangers of artificial generalized intelligence. Such an AI would differ from the small, isolated artificial intelligence and language models that we all know today.

For example, the most popular of these initiatives, ChatGPT-4, is merely a large language model—it can’t do much besides write when prompted and produce code. ChatGPT-4 can’t turn off your bank account or launch nuclear missiles.

Similarly, the AI that now powers many online search engines cannot do much besides function in a narrow, pre-defined niche like generating text responses or images.

Artificial generalized intelligence can function across domains and theoretically gain sentience or self-awareness and become an existential threat to humanity—like Skynet.

Musk told reporters: “I think this meeting may go down in history as being very important for the future of civilization.”

Elon Musk speaks to reporters after participating in the Senate AI Insight Forum:

“I think this meeting may go down in history as being very important for the future of civilization” pic.twitter.com/bqWH5We2W6

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) September 14, 2023

REPORTER: “Is AI going to kill us all, Mr. Musk?”

ELON MUSK: “I hope not” 🤣

pic.twitter.com/qDckZEOWG5

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) September 13, 2023

BBC News provided more of the eccentric billionaire’s comments:

In April, Mr Musk told the BBC: “I think there should be a regulatory body established for overseeing AI to make sure that it does not present a danger to the public.”

In Wednesday’s meeting, he said he wanted a “referee” for artificial intelligence.

“I think we’ll probably see something happen. I don’t know on what timeframe or exactly how it will manifest itself,” he told reporters after.

After the meeting Musk stated: “It was a very civilized discussion actually, among some of the smartest people in the world. I think Senator Schumer, did a great service to humanity here, with the support of the rest of the senate. I think something good may come of this.”

ELON MUSK ON AI REGULATION SENATE MEETING

"It was a very civilized discussion actually, among some of the smartest people in the world.

I think senator Schumer, did a great service to humanity here, with the support of the rest of the senate.

I think something good may come… https://t.co/7zvM6ywvlZ

— Penny2x (@imPenny2x) September 14, 2023

Musk later clarified his statements: “Think of the future as a series of probabilities & not certainties. There is some chance above zero that A.I. will kill us, I think it’s low.”

This @ElonMusk answer on #AI today was actually quite prescient 👇

“Think of the future as a series of probabilities & not certainties”…

The probability that #artificalintelligence will kill us all is “not zero but low”#Elonmusk #TechInnovation pic.twitter.com/H1qQQg1cC8

— Susan Li (@SusanLiTV) September 13, 2023

Fox Business reports:

Rounds is co-moderating the forum alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The event, which will feature Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman of OpenAI and others, will be away from public view.

The senator said lawmakers were looking to hear from a wide array of people in order to foster “different points of view” and “competition.”