Tesla Inc. chief executive Elon Musk reaffirmed his vision of a robot-fueled future, calling for more regulatory oversight of artificial intelligence at a high-profile Chinese government-backed conference Thursday.
The billionaire entrepreneur and Twitter-owner, who has warned in the past that AI development was proceeding too swiftly, lauded China’s advances in the field while repeating promises to share Tesla’s self-driving discoveries with rivals.
Musk’s brief keynote speech at the conference, a two-day affair centering on China’s AI effort backed by influential regulatory agencies, underscores his deep ties to the world’s No. 2 economy. The Tesla chief wrapped up his first visit to China since the pandemic about a month ago, during which he toured a Shanghai facility that accounted for more than half of Tesla’s global production.
Musk reiterated his view that full self-driving should emerge later this year, as the world moves toward a future where robots will outnumber humans. He also expressed confidence that China can become a global player in AI, a field that could be a key determinant of the future economic and geopolitical balance.
“I admire the Chinese people’s wisdom and determination. As long as the Chinese people decide to do well in one thing, they will, including in AI,” he told the audience via video link.
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