Zuckerberg, Musk trade insults over AI

Illustration by Tech in Asia’s Centaine Lim.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla boss Elon Musk are trading insults over their divergent views on the possible effects of artificial intelligence.

Zuckerberg dubs Musk’s warnings about AI “irresponsible.” In response to a question about Musk’s comments during a Facebook Live session, he said: “I think that people who try to drum up these doomsday scenarios are … pretty irresponsible.”

He went on to elaborate on this: “If you’re arguing against AI, then you’re arguing against safer cars that aren’t going to have accidents. And you’re arguing against being able to better diagnose people when they’re sick, and I just don’t see how in good conscience some people can do that.”

Musk’s response was short and tweeted.

I've talked to Mark about this. His understanding of the subject is limited.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2017

Musk, who had invested in AI startup DeepMind later acquired by Google, has said earlier that people don’t realize how fast it is advancing. His own visibility to cutting edge research in the field makes him nervous. He says Google may have good intentions but still “produce something evil by accident”—including, possibly, “a fleet of artificial intelligence-enhanced robots capable of destroying mankind.”

See: Zuckerberg to Harvard students: Eureka moment is a lie, go find a purpose

Facebook, Google and other data-rich US tech giants, including Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, and Apple, as well as China’s Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, are investing heavily into AI which could be a game-changer for their businesses. Musk has also co-founded AI research company OpenAI with Y Combinator president Sam Altman. And Tesla has been developing self-driving technology which is based on AI.

While the social media spat between Zuckerberg and Musk has triggered an avalanche of wisecracks and GIFs in social media, the underlying issues surrounding AI are deadly serious – from the mundane, like its impact on jobs and privacy, to futuristic worries over AI-powered robots running amok.

The article has been updated to include Musk’s reaction.