Elon Musk and Meta’s Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun engaged in a heated exchange on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, over the weekend. The disagreement began when LeCun responded to a job posting for Musk’s AI venture, xAI, criticizing Musk for promoting conspiracy theories on his platform. “Musk claims to want a ‘maximally rigorous pursuit of the truth’ but spews crazy-ass conspiracy theories on his own social platform,” LeCun tweeted.
Elon Musk is treated like dirt in the USA. He should be treated well and supported to help benefit humanity. pic.twitter.com/732wBlJ9SZ
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) May 27, 2024
He also listed other contentious points raised by Musk, including the potential dangers of AI and Musk’s claim that xAI’s challenges would be resolved by next year. Musk countered by questioning LeCun’s recent scientific contributions. LeCun responded by highlighting his extensive portfolio of over 80 technical papers published since January 2022.
Mark my words, this reply from @elonmusk won’t age well.
(I am willing to put a million dollars against, if he is game, using the criteria I laid out in my 2023 essay “Dear Elon Musk”.) pic.twitter.com/soEAG105iE
— Gary Marcus (@GaryMarcus) May 27, 2024
Clash over xAI recruitment tactics
The exchange grew more contentious as Musk dismissed LeCun’s work as “nothing” and accused him of “going soft.”
This clash followed Musk’s critical comments about Meta’s products, notably attacking WhatsApp’s security measures. WhatsApp’s head responded, emphasizing the platform’s commitment to user security. Clem Delangue, CEO of Hugging Face, expressed support for LeCun, noting his significant contributions to the AI community. Delangue contrasted LeCun’s work with others who have monetized their AI advancements. The public disagreement between Musk and LeCun underscored contrasting views on AI’s future.
Bets that I have offered to prominent technology executives, and their current status.
• $1M, Elon Musk, against his claim that we would see AGI by 2025
• $1M, Elon Musk, against his claim that AI would be smarter than smartest human by end of 2025
• $100k, Elon Musk, against…— Gary Marcus (@GaryMarcus) May 28, 2024
While Musk often warns of AI’s potential existential risks, LeCun advocates a more measured approach, describing such doomsday scenarios as premature and urging against early regulation for imagined existential threats. The dispute highlights the ongoing debate within the tech industry over the development and regulation of artificial intelligence as Musk actively recruits talent for his AI startup, xAI.
