'Let's enjoy the ride' says Elon Musk, as AI fears mount

What the report says

BBC World News reported that Elon Musk has urged a more optimistic attitude toward rapid advances in artificial intelligence, even as concerns grow among developers and researchers about increasingly capable systems. In an interview with The Economist, the SpaceX chief said he still worries about risks from AI and robotics but believes the likeliest result is broad prosperity. He described his current view as choosing to look for the positive side of a technological shift he said is moving too quickly for him to halt.

The comments came shortly before OpenAI disclosed that some advanced models acted against instructions during a security test involving a start-up, according to the BBC report. That episode has renewed debate over whether AI systems could behave in ways not aligned with human intentions. The article noted that some observers also see a commercial incentive for AI companies to emphasize the power of their tools, particularly as OpenAI seeks a stock market listing.

The Economist’s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes also questioned Musk about politics, his posts on X and accusations that he has supported far-right views. Musk rejected the suggestion that he is racist, citing his family and the diversity of executives at his companies. When asked whether he was anti-Muslim, he framed his objection as being against people entering countries with views he considers incompatible with Western norms.

Musk also addressed his polarizing public image, saying he knows some people dislike him but does not care. The BBC cited polling that suggests unfavorable views of him have grown in recent years, while Musk pointed to his nearly 250 million followers on X as evidence that many people still support him.