Elon Musk: AI ‘most likely cause of WWIII’
South African billionaire sends warning after Putin says leaders in AI ‘will become the ruler of the world’
Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has once again said that artificial intelligence (AI) systems have the potential to start global warfare if the technology were to fall into the wrong hands.
The South African billionaire said in a tweet: “Competition for AI superiority at national level most likely cause of WWIII [in my opinion]”.
He adds that wars “may be initiated not by the country leaders, but one of the AI's, if it decides that a preemptive strike is [the] most probable path to victory”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Musk’s tweets were made in response to comments made by Vladimir Putin, originally reported by RT, who said: “Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia, but for all humankind.”
He said AI comes with “threats that are difficult to predict”, but “whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world”.
It’s not the first time Musk has aired concerns about the potential of these technologies.
Last month, BBC News reported that he and other experts in AI wrote an open letter to the United Nations (UN) calling for the ban of “killer robots” before the technology is used in warfare.
Musk also told a group of US state politicians in Rhode Island in July that the government must “learn as much as possible” and “gain insight” into how the technology works.
However, Business Insider says “no one really knows how advanced the technology will become or who will look to harness it and how.”
As it currently stands, “the smartest self-thinking machines today are still unable to perform more than one task and they still have limited use”, the website says.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Libel and lies': Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial
The Explainer Israeli PM takes the stand on charges his supporters say are cooked up by a 'liberal deep state'
By The Week UK Published
-
The hidden cost of lead exposure on American mental health
Under The Radar Millions of mental health diagnoses have been linked to childhood lead exposure in new study
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
What exactly are tariffs and how do they work?
The explainer Refresh your understanding ahead of Donald Trump's promise to levy heavy tariffs once he's back in office
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Judge rejects Elon Musk's $56B pay package again
Speed Read Judge Kathaleen McCormick upheld her rejection of the Tesla CEO's unprecedented compensation deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bluesky: the social media platform causing a mass X-odus
The Explainer Social media platform is enjoying a new influx but can it usurp big rivals?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
What Trump's win could mean for Big Tech
Talking Points The tech industry is bracing itself for Trump's second administration
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Is the world ready for Tesla's new domestic robots?
Talking Points The debut of Elon Musk's long-promised "Optimus" at a Tesla event last week has renewed debate over the role — and feasibility — of commercial automatons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The next place you'll find Starlink tech isn't a war zone — it's your airplane seat
Under the Radar Several major airlines are offering free in-flight Wi-Fi through the technology
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Elon Musk's X blinks in standoff with Brazil
Speed Read Brazil may allow X to resume operations in the country, as Musk's company agrees to comply with court demand
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
RuWiki: Russian Wikipedia rival that censors everything from Ukraine to oral sex
Under the Radar Kremlin-backed project to create censored encyclopaedia could be a sign that Wikipedia's days are numbered in Russia
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Boeing, SpaceX successfully test key rockets
Speed Read Boeing’s Starliner docked at the ISS and SpaceX completed its fourth test launch of its Starship spacecraft
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published