--- title: "Elon Musk, Who Hates Regulation, Calls for Regulation of Tech That Threatens Him" description: "Elon Musk is a man of many contradictions, and one of his most glaring ones was on display in a recent Tesla presentation in which he sounded off on AI." date: "2023-03-03" modified: "2023-03-03" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-ai-regulation" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "OpenAI" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk, Who Hates Regulation, Calls for Regulation of Tech That Threatens Him ![Elon Musk is a man of many contradictions, and one of his most glaring ones was on display in a recent Tesla presentation in which he sounded off on AI.]() *\Image: Brendan Smialowski via Getty / Futurism\* ## Invested Elon Musk is a man of many contradictions, and one of his most glaring ones — [libertarianism with personally convenient limits]() — was on display in a recent Tesla presentation in which he sounded off on artificial intelligence. As [*Reuters* reports](), Musk admitted his anxieties about the headline-grabbing tech during a recent Tesla investor meeting that looked broadly at the company's plans for the future. "AI stresses me out," the South African-Canadian billionaire said, clarifying later in his comments that he's a "little worried" about it. "We need some kind of, like, regulatory authority or something overseeing AI development," Musk told his investors. "Make sure it's operating in the public interest. It's quite dangerous technology. I fear I may have done some things to accelerate it." That last bit refers, of course, to his early involvement in OpenAI, which Musk co-founded in 2015 and [left three years later]() amid apparent differences in ideology. ## Anti-Woke Though he's [occasionally praised]() the [onetime nonprofit]() research firm for the power of ChatGPT since its paradigm-shifting November release, the SpaceX founder has mostly trashed OpenAI in recent months — and is, per a [scoop from *The Information* dropped]() earlier in the week, apparently looking to build a new AI company to compete with what he characterizes as its "[woke]()" chatbot. That said, Musk calling for AI regulation after news broke that he's seeking to compete with the firm he helped found does seem pretty on the nose. But then again, this is the same "free speech absolutist" who, in the early days of his Twitter ownership, appeared to [mass ban the accounts of journalists]() who criticized him on the site. "Regulation for thee but not for me" very much falls within Musk's [dissonant worldview](), and this latest AI kerfuffle is proof positive that wealth and power absolutely do not equal ideological consistency. **More on the Muskian worldview:** [*China Warns Elon Musk Not to Contradict Its COVID Messaging*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()