Elon Musk Cites ‘Terminator’ As A Reason To “Keep An Eye On” Artificial Intelligence

Ruh roh.

Ruh roh.

Worried about the always looming, definitely gonna happen robot revolution? You’re not the only one imagining the insufferable chains of slavery our robot overlords are going to slap on us someday. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, is also worried robots are up to no good, so he’s keeping an eye on the artificial industry just in case.

During an interview with CNBC (h/t to Business Insider for transcript, as CNBC video must’ve cut the fun parts out), Musk chatted about how he isn’t much of an investor, besides in his own projects like SpaceX and SolarCity. But he’s also got some money in a company called Vicarious Artificial Intelligence — why?

“Mostly I sort of – it’s not from the standpoint of actually trying to make any investment return,” he explains. “It’s really, I like to just keep an eye on what’s going on with artificial intelligence. I think there is potentially a dangerous outcome there and we need to–”

Dangerous? Interuppts a co-anchor. Oh yes, the fears in your heart are echoed by Musk. He’s no fool — he’s seen the movies.

“Potentially, yes. I mean, there have been movies about this, you know, like Terminator,” he explained.

Right. So that’s a movie, but even if it could become real, what does Musk expect to do about it?

He’s not really sure at this point, but he’s got an eye on the situation just in case things start to get too advanced. At this point, the co-anchors have some fun — asking him if he wants to make sure technology is “used for good and not Terminator-like evil.”

Musk agrees, but goes on to say that it all comes back to Monty Python, really. Yeah, this is what interviewers like to hear. Tell us more, Musk!

“In the movie Terminator, they didn’t create A.I. to – they didn’t expect, you know some sort of Terminator-like outcome,” he explains. “It is sort of like the Monty Python thing: Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition. It’s just – you know, but you have to be careful.”

If you’re hoping Musk will save us all when the time comes, don’t start throwing around the name John Connor just yet. He admits he doesn’t know what he can do to stop it — and even escaping to Mars won’t help.

“The A.I. will chase us there pretty quickly,” Musk notes.

Underground bunkers it is.

With eyes on NASA, Mars, Elon Musk still dreams big [CNBC]
Elon Musk: I’m Worried About A ‘Terminator’-Like Scenario Erupting From Artificial Intelligence [Business Insider]

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