Elon Musk says “still a long way to go” on use of AI, says no use yet in space exploration

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Describing Space Exploration as one of the areas where no Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used, SpaceX’s founder Elon Musk said that there’s “still a long way to go” on its use. Speaking at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference 2024 on Monday, May 6,  Musk said that AI is still terrible in answering questions pertaining to issues like Fermi’s Paradox, and is yet to find use in SpaceX or Starlink. 

Forecasting the prevalence of less than 1% biological intelligence eventually, he projected most intelligence as “digital” and biological intelligence only as a buffer for future. However, he stressed on the importance of building a truth seeking and curious AI in a way beneficial for humanity, with an ability to say the truth, even if it’s politically incorrect.

Terming space exploration as an exciting prospect towards making the future better than the past, he expressed hope over humans going to other star systems, similar to the scripts of science fiction stories like the Star Trek. While he said that humans may find remains of alien civilisations in case space probes are sent, he clarified that no evidence of aliens has been seen as he pointed out none of the 6,000 satellites of SpaceX have ever needed to move around a UFO. 

As he expressed his desire to take humans to spaces they’ve never gone before, he described “civilisation” as “precarious” and “rare”, stating that human civilisation would easily colonize the whole galaxy if it lasts for a million years.

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Calling for humanity to become a multi-planet civilisation, he pitched for an escape from planetary redundancy to prevent humans from dying out of a self-inflicted wound from natural disasters, as he cited an example of dinosaurs.

Reiterating his fears of a demographic collapse, he said that historians have overlooked the role of a low birth rate in the decline of civilisations as he pitched for a need for an increase in population. 

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow