Musk Backs AI Push Despite 10%-20% Catastrophe Risk as He Predicts Superintelligence in 5 Years
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jul 23
Musk Backs AI Push Despite 10%-20% Catastrophe Risk as He Predicts Superintelligence in 5 Years
3 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jul 23
Summary
Elon Musk said humanity probably should not press an AI “stop button” even if one existed, arguing the technology’s momentum and potential “incredible abundance for all” outweigh its dangers.
Five years is Musk’s rough timeline for AI to exceed the sum of human intelligence, a shift he said could usher in an era where work becomes optional and material scarcity largely disappears.
A 10% to 20% chance of AI going catastrophically wrong still looks plausible to Musk, who said the realistic goal is not stopping development but minimizing the odds of a bad outcome.
Within a decade, Musk said, humans are unlikely to remain in control of superintelligent AI, making it critical to build systems with values that care about humanity’s happiness and prosperity.
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis was among the rivals Musk said should hold regular calls, reflecting his push for competitors to coordinate on AI safety and security even as development accelerates.