2023-09-18 20:23:08
During a conversation on X (formerly Twitter), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on billionaire Elon Musk on Monday to reduce anti-Semitism on his social network. The two men also discussed the theme of artificial intelligence.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and billionaire Elon Musk discussed, Monday, September 18, the dangers linked to artificial intelligence (AI), Israeli politics and content moderation on X, formerly Twitter, during a live conversation on the platform of the boss of Tesla and SpaceX.
“I hope that you will find the ability to put an end to anti-Semitism (on X) or to reduce it as much as possible”, within the limits of freedom of expression, Benjamin Netanyahu told the president of X.
Elon Musk recently threatened legal action against the ADL, which fights against anti-Semitism and racism. He believes that this NGO has scared away advertisers from the social network with accusations, according to him unfounded, about the rapid increase in hate speech on the social network since he bought it in October 2022.
“I know that you are determined to combat any collective hatred of the people that anti-Semitism targets, and I hope that you will succeed. It is not an easy task, but I encourage you to find a balance,” he said. added the Prime Minister, visiting the United States for the UN General Assembly this week.
Elon Musk responded that he couldn’t stop all hate messages from being posted on X, which now has “550 million monthly users.” As of May 2022, Twitter reported having around 230 million daily active users.
The controversial leader, on the other hand, assured that he was “against all attacks by any group of people, whatever the group”. “I’m in favor of what moves civilization forward and ultimately allows us to become a space-faring civilization, where we understand the nature of the universe. We can’t get there if there’s a lot of infighting, of hatred and negativity,” he detailed.
“New Age”
The two men announced Monday morning on X that they were going to interview each other. During their very friendly exchanges, they repeatedly expressed their mutual respect.
Elon Musk is “the current leader of the most spectacular innovation of the new age and perhaps in general,” declared Benjamin Netanyahu. “He is, to a large extent, opening the way that will change the face of humanity and also the face of the State of Israel,” he further affirmed, specifying that he wanted to “convince him to invest in Israel in the years to come.”
The conversation therefore mainly focused on AI, its potential benefits and its dangers for society. Benjamin Netanyahu listed advances and promises – on life expectancy, medicine, robots to help the elderly, an end to traffic jams on land and in the air, automation in industry and agriculture, “the end of shortages” – but also many dangers, particularly for democracy, when AI is used for nefarious purposes or if it ever “takes control of humans”.
“I think in many ways we find ourselves at a turning point today for all of humanity, where we have to choose between a blessing and a curse,” he told Musk.
AI “Referee”
The billionaire, who founded his own AI company this year, expressed optimism that international leaders could work together to avoid disasters linked to the technology. “Every sport has a referee of one kind or another,” he said, calling for avoiding a frantic race for AI like that for nuclear weapons.
Elon Musk is one of the founders of the company OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT) from which he later left the board of directors. He also co-founded Neuralink, a start-up that designs neural implants, notably with the aim of achieving “symbiosis with artificial intelligence (AI)”, in his words in 2020.
The billionaire regularly warns about the dangers of AI and has spoken with political leaders, from Washington to Beijing, on the subject. He participated last week in a series of closed-door meetings at the US Congress, alongside other big tech bosses like Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, or Sam Altman of OpenAI, while the United States is working on new laws to better control this technology.
“There is a strong consensus in favor of regulating AI,” Elon Musk commented last Wednesday after a meeting. “Even if the regulation is not perfect, (…) the consequences of AI slipping would be serious.”
With AFP
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