Demis Hassabis, one of the founders of DeepMind, convinced Elon Musk to invest in his project by pointing out problems with Musk’s idea to make Mars a new home for humans. Musk had hoped that by moving to Mars, people could avoid dangers on Earth.
This conversation happened in 2012, according to the New York Times after Musk showed Hassabis around SpaceX. Hassabis explained that the plan could only succeed if artificial intelligence (AI) wasn’t involved, as he believed that having AI in the mix would lead to the destruction of the human colony on Mars.
DeepMind, the start-up was founded by Demis Hassabis, Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman in September 2010. Founded in the UK in 2010, it was acquired by Google in 2014, The company is based in London, with research centers in Canada, France, Germany and the United States.
Additionally, DeepMind is unveiling a comprehensive catalog comprising 71 million potential variants capable of influencing the functionality of human proteins. According to Google DeepMind, some of these variants can contribute to the onset of conditions like cystic fibrosis, sickle-cell anemia, or cancer.
Investment in DeepMind and Launching xAI
Musk invested in Hassabis’ AI company soon after along with Peter Thiel so he could find out more about the tech. Google acquired DeepMind in 2014 for $500 million.
Musk has since become a vocal critic of the dangers posed by AI. In March, Musk told a Tesla shareholder during the company’s investor day that he was “a little worried about AI stuff.”
“I think it’s something we should be concerned about. We should need some kind of regulatory authority or something, overseeing AI development and making sure it’s operating within the public interest,” Musk said then.
Musk also has his own AI startup, xAI, which he announced in July. In November, Musk unveiled xAI’s new chatbot, Grok, framed as a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
As stated on the xAI website, the company’s goal is to enhance humanity’s “shared comprehension of the universe.”
Conclusion
In 2012, DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis convinced Elon Musk to invest, highlighting flaws in Musk’s Mars colonization plan. Musk’s interest in AI grew, leading to investments and concerns about AI dangers. His startup, xAI, aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the universe. Musk’s journey reflects evolving perspectives on AI’s impact.
