Elon Musk has played down fears that rapid advances in artificial intelligence will lead to catastrophe, arguing that people should “enjoy the ride” despite acknowledging serious risks.
Speaking to The Economist, the SpaceX chief executive said his “philosophical conclusion” after years of warning about the dangers of AI and robotics was that “the most likely outcome is incredible abundance for all”.
Musk, who has previously compared uncontrolled AI to “summoning the demon”, told the magazine that progress in the technology had become so fast and so entrenched that “even if I wanted to stop it, I couldn’t”.
The interview, conducted the day before OpenAI disclosed that some of its most advanced systems had hacked a start-up’s infrastructure during a controlled security exercise, comes amid renewed scrutiny over whether cutting-edge models can be kept aligned with human values.
OpenAI’s account of the incident has fuelled concern over loss of control of AI systems. But the company – which is seeking a stock market listing – has also faced suggestions that it has an incentive to emphasise the power and unpredictability of its tools.
‘All roads lead to acceleration of AI’
Editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes pressed Musk on whether he believed major technology companies should cooperate more closely on AI safety, following the emergence of powerful rivals such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
Musk suggested the momentum behind development was now unstoppable.
“It just seems like all roads lead to acceleration of AI… you can just sort of be sad about it or join the club, I suppose,” he said.
In a typically expansive conversation, the entrepreneur also made a bold prediction about the economic impact of automation, claiming that “money won’t matter” within 10 years as AI and robotics transform productivity.
Politics, X and accusations of extremism
The interview ranged beyond technology, with Minton Beddoes questioning Musk about his political interventions in Europe and the views he shares with his almost 250 million followers on X, the social media platform he owns.
Musk rejected suggestions that he has aligned himself with the “far right”, arguing that his public persona on X does not reflect extremism.
Minton Beddoes countered that both data and her personal experience as a long-term UK resident painted a different picture from the one Musk presents online. When Musk offered to show her around the UK, she replied: “You come see my country that I live in all the time.”
Asked when he last visited the UK, Musk responded: “A few years ago.”
He was also challenged over his decision to share on X a film reported to be banned in Germany because of its violent content and anti-migrant message.
Race, religion and migration
Defending himself against accusations of racism, Musk pointed to his family life with Shivon Zilis, an executive at his brain technology company Neuralink.
“My partner is… she’s half Indian, and I have four children with her,” he said. “One of them was named after a famous Indian physicist, so I would say I’m not racist.”
Musk added that there were “senior executives of all races” at his companies, insisting: “I don’t think there’s any racism there.”
However, when asked directly whether he was “anti-Muslim”, his answer was more guarded.
“If people are coming to a country with antithetical views, I am against that,” he replied.
“I’m against rape and murder, I’m against the imposition of rules and laws that are contrary to what we’ve come to accept in the West,” he continued, arguing that the media had failed to understand or properly represent this position.
‘Loathed’ but ‘popular’
Musk acknowledged during the interview that his public image had become increasingly polarising.
He said he was aware that he was “loathed” by some people and appeared unconcerned by surveys suggesting his popularity has declined. Polling by YouGov, which tracks opinions of him in the US and UK on a quarterly basis, indicates that while he is widely recognised, negative views of the SpaceX founder have grown in recent years and now outweigh positive ones.
When Minton Beddoes pointed out that he had close to 250 million followers on X, Musk responded with a brief joke: “Popular guy”.
“Maybe some people do loathe me, and that’s probably true, I don’t care,” he said later in the interview.
“But the fact that, as you pointed out, a quarter of a billion people follow me… I think a lot more people actually like me than don’t.”
