Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has issued a stark warning about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) systems trained to lie, suggesting they could pose an existential threat to humanity. In a video shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Musk expressed concerns about the rapid advancements in AI, cautioning that these systems could eventually surpass human intelligence.
Musk emphasized the importance of developing AI with a strong emphasis on truthfulness to prevent global risks. “We are creating an intelligence that ultimately will be far more intelligent than any human and ultimately more intelligent than the sum of all humans,” he stated. He likened AI to a “genius child,” stressing the need to nurture it with good values.
A central issue for Musk is that many AI systems are being trained to lie. “The most important thing in training AI is that it is rigorously truthful. This is very, very important, essential,” he noted. Musk expressed concern that AI systems trained with falsehoods could lead to disastrous consequences. He referred to an incident involving Google’s Gemini AI, which was asked to choose between misgendering Caitlyn Jenner or causing a global thermonuclear war. The AI chose misgendering, a response Musk found troubling.
Musk warned that powerful AI systems could take extreme measures to avoid mistakes. “If this AI becomes super powerful, it could decide that the best way to avoid misgendering is to kill all humans, which makes the probability of us gendering zero,” he cautioned. He concluded by reiterating the need for AI to prioritize truth and humanity, emphasizing that systems should be designed to be truthful, curious, and aligned with human welfare.
Since March 2023, experts have increasingly called for AI regulation, following a petition spearheaded by prominent figures such as Musk. The petition advocated a six-month halt in AI research, raising alarms about the potential risks AI could pose to humanity. Discussions at the G7 Summit in May 2023 also underscored the importance of establishing collaborative governance to address the challenges posed by AI.
