Elon Musk and Rishi Sunak chat China, killer robots and the meaning of life
- Musk, who was in May given royal-like treatment during a visit to China, welcomed that Beijing had participated in AI safety talks at the London event
- They agreed on the possible need for physical ‘off-switches’ to prevent robots from running out of control in a dangerous way
Billionaire Elon Musk welcomed China’s engagement on artificial intelligence safety and said he wanted to see Beijing aligned with Britain and the United States on the subject, speaking in London on Thursday alongside British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Musk backed China’s inclusion in the first AI Safety Summit, hosted at Bletchley Park, England, which has drawn leading companies and nations together to agree initial steps on how to manage the risks of cutting-edge AI models.
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Elon Musk and Rishi Sunak chat China, AI safety and robots that are smarter than the smartest human
“If the United States and the UK and China are aligned on safety, then that’s going to be a good thing, because that’s where the leadership is generally,” he said.
Musk, who was in May given royal-like treatment during a visit to China, welcomed that Beijing had participated in AI safety talks at the event.
“Having them here I think was essential, really. If they’re not participants, it’s pointless.”
Sunak interviewed Musk – feted by Britain as a star guest at the two-day summit – on a small stage in a gilded room at London’s Lancaster House, one of the government’s most opulent venues, which is often used for diplomatic functions.