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Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk Trade Jabs Over AI

The Facebook CEO think's Musk's warnings about AI are 'irresponsible,' while the SpaceX and Tesla CEO says Zuckerberg's 'understanding of the subject is limited.'

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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When it comes to artificial intelligence, two of the most powerful CEOs in technology—Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk—have a major difference of opinion.

Zuckerberg on Sunday afternoon had some time to kill while smoking a brisket in his backyard, so he went on Facebook Live for an impromptu question-and-answer session. When asked his thoughts about AI, the Facebook CEO said he thinks Musk's warnings about the technology are "irresponsible."

"Watched a recent interview with Elon Musk; his largest fear for future was AI," the user wrote. "What are your thoughts on AI and how it could affect networks in a 'deep' way?"

Around the 50-minute mark, Zuckerberg says he has "pretty strong opinions" about this topic.

"With AI, especially, I'm really optimistic, and I think that people who are naysayers and...try to drum up these doomsday scenarios… I don't understand it, I think it's really negative, and in some ways I actually think it's pretty irresponsible."

He went on to say that "AI is going to deliver so many improvements in the quality of our lives" over the next five to 10 years.

The technology, for instance, is already helping doctors diagnose diseases and match people with the drugs they need to get better, Zuckerberg pointed out. Plus, self-driving cars, which rely on AI, are "going to be safer than people driving cars," he added.

Zuckerberg acknowledged that technology can always be used for good and bad, and said people "need to be careful" about how they build and use AI. But he said he has a hard time understanding why anyone would argue to slow the process of building AI.

"If you're arguing against AI, then you're arguing against safer cars that aren't going to have accidents, and you're arguing against being able to better diagnose people when they're sick, and I just don't see how in good conscience some people can do that," Zuckerberg said.

On Twitter, Musk fired back. "I've talked to Mark about this," Musk wrote. "His understanding of the subject is limited."

When a Twitter follower urged Musk to expand on his thoughts via a blog post, Musk responded: "Movie on the subject coming soon," but did not elaborate.

In the past, Musk has said toying with AI is the equivalent of "summoning the demon" and warned against "super AI." In 2015, he helped form a non-profit AI research company called OpenAI.

Facebook, meanwhile, is already using AI to wipe out terrorist accounts, fight spam, detect content containing nudity and violence, and help you find photos your friends have shared. Zuckerberg also spent part of 2016 building his very own AI butler.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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