Elon Musk says Bill Gates' understanding of AI 'limited'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Mar 2023 12:53

Musk rebukes Gates for what he considers his lack of understanding of artificial intelligence (AI).

Elon Musk at the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles, California, June 13, 2019 (Reuters)

Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Monday called out billionaire Bill Gates for his "limited" knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI), implying that he is unfamiliar with the new technology.

Musk slammed the Microsoft founder in a comment after another user shared a recent piece written by the Microsoft tycoon, in which he mentions having held several meetings with the team from OpenAI - a tech firm co-founded by Musk - since 2016.

"I remember the early meetings with Gates. His understanding of AI was limited. Still is," Musk indicated.

I remember the early meetings with Gates. His understanding of AI was limited. Still is.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2023

Last week, Gates published an article dubbed "The Age of AI has Begun" and went on to detail his work with OpenAI, including a "challenge" he tasked to the company to create AI capable of passing an advanced placement high school biology test.

"I thought the challenge would keep them busy for two or three years. They finished it in just a few months," Gates said of OpenAI, the developer of the ChatGPT program.

Musk stepped down from OpenAI's board of directors in 2018 and has since become increasingly critical of the company, noting that while it was established as an open-source venture, it has now evolved into a "closed source maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft."

The Tesla CEO's comment is not the first indication of competition between the two billionaires, who have previously clashed over the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020, Gates said he chose a Porsche over a Tesla, prompting Musk to describe his conversations with the Microsoft founder as "underwhelming" and later accuse Gates of shorting Tesla's stock.