10 Highlights from Elon Musk’s Interview with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Following the conclusion of the inaugural AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in the UK, which saw the participation of over 28 countries and notable figures like US vice president Kamala Harris, India’s Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and China’s vice minister of science and technology Wu Zhaohui, another significant AI interview took place. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak interviewed Elon Musk, the owner of X, where they discussed pressing questions in the AI field and evaluated its risks and potential. Musk referred to AI as the “most disruptive force in history.” Here are the 10 key highlights from the 51-minute-long interview.

10 key takeaways from the AI conversation between Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk

1. Wasting no time, the first question Sunak asked Musk was about his fear of artificial intelligence, despite being one of the most experimental inventors of our time. Musk said: “Being immersed in technology for a long time, I saw [AI] coming. But this was a year where there were a number of breakthroughs. For example, you can see a dynamically generated video of yourself saying whatever you want.

“I saw GPT 1, GPT 2, 3 and 4, the whole line after that, and it was easy for me to see where it was going. If you extrapolate the points on the curve and you see the trajectory continue, we have deep AI that is much higher than human intelligence,” he added.

2. The magic genie problem – During the interview, Musk stressed that he would like to believe that AI can be used to create a wealth of goods and services and solve all of the world’s biggest problems, but he said that there was one thing that worried him, which he calls “the magic genie- a problem”. He explained: “When you have a magic spirit that grants your wishes, those stories usually don’t end well. Be careful what you wish for, even your wishes.”

3. On job cuts caused by artificial intelligence – Musk said: “There will come a point where work is not needed. You will get work if you want work. Whether it makes people feel comfortable or not, we have to see… One of the challenges of the future is how we find meaning in life” .

4. AI can drive you into a tree – He explained his problem with AI, especially when they were added to humanoid robots, “I think there is a safety concern, especially with humanoid robots. At least a car can’t drive you into a tree… but if you have a humanoid robot, it can drive you anywhere .” Suna replied to this “You are not selling this”.

5. AI Friend – Mentioning the potential benefit of AI, Musk said, “One of my sons has trouble making friends, and an AI friend would be good for him.” This also highlights the role that Musk sees AI coming and playing.