Elon Musk said people who don't think AI could be smarter than them are 'way dumber than they think they are'

• Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday that those who don't think a computer could become smarter than them are "way dumber than they think they are."
• "The people I see being the most wrong about AI are the ones who are very smart, because they can't imagine that a computer could be way smarter than them," Musk said.
• Musk has said he believes AI poses a greater threat to humanity than nuclear weapons.
• Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk reiterated his concerns about the future of artificial intelligence on Wednesday, saying those who don't believe a computer could surpass their cognitive abilities are "way dumber than they think they are."

"I've been banging this AI drum for a decade," Musk said. "We should be concerned about where AI is going. The people I see being the most wrong about AI are the ones who are very smart, because they can't imagine that a computer could be way smarter than them. That's the flaw in their logic. They're just way dumber than they think they are."

Musk has previously said he believes AI poses a much larger threat to humanity than nuclear weapons and called for regulations to monitor the development of AI technology.

"I think the danger of AI is much bigger than the danger of nuclear warheads by a lot," Musk said in 2018. "Nobody would suggest we allow the world to just build nuclear warheads if they want, that would be insane. And mark my words: AI is far more dangerous than nukes."

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has disagreed with Musk, saying AI has already improved health care and could reduce car accidents, while calling excessive pessimism about AI "pretty irresponsible." In response, Musk called Zuckerberg's understanding of AI "limited."

Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com.

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