During a conversation on Twitter Spaces with Representatives Mike Gallagher and Ro Khanna, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a bold prediction. He stated that he believes “digital superintelligence” will become a reality within the next five or six years. Musk even compared this scenario to a gripping Netflix series, suggesting that it would culminate in a showdown between the West and China, with the series finale featuring Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
Khanna expressed surprise at the accelerated timeline, admitting that he had not anticipated such rapid progress. Musk clarified that digital superintelligence refers to a level of intelligence surpassing that of any individual human in any domain.
However, Musk admitted that contemplating the future implications of AI causes him stress. He emphasized the importance of regulatory oversight for this emerging technology, drawing a parallel with other regulated dangerous activities. Musk and several others had previously signed an open letter calling for a moratorium on the development of AI systems more advanced than OpenAI’s GPT-4.
Interestingly, this conversation took place shortly after Musk announced the formation of his new artificial intelligence company, xAI.
