Join getAbstract to access the summary!

Elon Musk’s Billion-Dollar Crusade to Stop the A.I. Apocalypse

Join getAbstract to access the summary!

Elon Musk’s Billion-Dollar Crusade to Stop the A.I. Apocalypse

Vanity Fair,

5 min read
5 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Elon Musk warns of an AI apocalypse. Not everyone agrees.

auto-generated audio
auto-generated audio

Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Eye Opening
  • Overview

Recommendation

Artificial intelligence (AI) enables Facebook to target ads and curate news feeds; it powers Microsoft and Apple’s digital assistants, and Google’s search engine is highly dependent on the technology. AI is already entrenched in many peoples’ daily lives whether they realize it or not, but is it dangerous? SpaceX founder Elon Musk has emerged as AI’s most vocal critic – warning that it constitutes the “biggest existential threat” to humankind. But as journalist Maureen Dowd’s survey of some of the leading voices on the issue reveals, not everybody shares Musk’s apocalyptic vision. If the prospect of AI keeps you up at night, getAbstract believes you’ll find her essay to be food for thought. 

Summary

Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has gained notoriety for his doomsday predictions related to artificial intelligence (AI). He is convinced that AI will reach a point where it breaks free from human control and takes on a life of its own – possibly destroying humanity in the process.

Musk believes that well-intentioned people, such as his friend and Google co-founder Larry Page, may accidentally develop AI with destructive potential. And, Musk fears, AI could also fall into the hands of a nefarious government...

About the Author

Maureen Dowd is a columnist for The New York Times. 


Comment on this summary