--- title: "Elon Musk Says He’s Suffering “Existential Angst” About AI" description: "Suffering a bit of anxiety over what recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) might mean for humanity? So is billionaire Elon Musk." date: "2023-02-27" modified: "2023-02-27" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-existential-angst-ai" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "ai" - "artificial intelligence" - "elon musk" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Says He’s Suffering “Existential Angst” About AI ![Suffering a bit of anxiety over what recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) might mean for humanity? So is billionaire Elon Musk.]() *\Image: Angela Weiss via Getty / Futurism\* ## Relatable Suffering a bit of anxiety over what recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence [might mean]() for humanity? So is Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. "Having a bit of AI existential angst today," the billionaire [tweeted]() over the weekend, just a few hours after starting the day on a much lighter "[hope you have a good Sunday]()" note to followers. Honestly, in the grand scheme of [Musk tweets](), this one is a bit more relatable than most. AI broke into the public sphere in a major way towards the end of last year, with OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot swiftly shaping up to be the [fastest-growing app]() in consumer history. Microsoft and Google, meanwhile, are currently warring over whose AI integration will dominate the future of search — if they can figure out how to make their search chatbots the [perfect degree of stupid](), that is — while investor cash continues to flow into the field at large. In other words, it's possible AI may not just be an inflection point of 2023, but of civilization itself. And considering the very real dangers that both AI itself and the [ongoing arms race]() to build it may well pose, existential angst is pretty valid. ## We Have History It's not terribly surprising to see Musk muse about his AI-induced angst, given that he's recently been vocally critical of OpenAI — a company he actually helped to found back in 2015 before vacating the board in 2018 — and its investment daddy Microsoft, taking to Twitter on February 17 to [basically call OpenAI a bunch of sell-outs](). "OpenAI was created as an open source (which is why I named it 'Open' AI), non-profit company to serve as a counterweight to Google," Musk [tweeted](), "but now it has become a closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft." Musk also has historically taken a [warning tone]() when speaking about AI, making it very clear — [even quite recently]() — that he fears it could bring down civilization. (That said, we should note, that the Musk-owned Tesla has some very serious [AI-related safety concerns]() of its own to tackle.) Even so, Mr. Tweet still thinks that his AI anxieties will be worth it in the long run. "All things considered with regard to \[Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)\] existential angst," he [continued]() in the thread, "I would prefer to be alive now to witness AGI than be alive in the past and not." **More on Elon Musk:** [*Elon Musk Takes Aim at Microsoft as Bing AI Goes Off the Rails*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()