Elon Musk on the Future of Humanity

Elon Musk was interviewed about the future of humanity on Clubhouse.

Here are some highlights:

* Neuralink has a monkey with a wireless implant in their skull who can play video games using his mind
* Every is already a cyborg. The smartphones and computers are an extra layer of capability. The communication rate is at most 100 bits per second.
* The direct neural interface will be able to improve the bandwidth between your cortex and your digital tertiary layer by many orders of magnitude. Elon think the bandwidth will increase by 10,000 times or more.
* Neuralink’s current goal is treating those with brain and spinal injuries.

Elon repeated the goals of colonizing Mars.

Elon discussed the Robinhood blocking trading of Gamestop and other stocks. Vlad Tenev, chief executive officer of stock trading app Robinhood, joined the interview to talk about the GameStop-Reddit.

Elon also discussed the COVID vaccines and how we should do things to speed up deployment by giving everyone the first dose on a first come first serve basis.

SOURCES – Elon Musk, Clubhouse
Written by Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com

23 thoughts on “Elon Musk on the Future of Humanity”

  1. I'd agree – the first step toward making it safe would be to install only hardware that is totally under your control AND doesn't allow anyone to take control away. But that'd only be the first step – e.g. if it is network connected, or if you can in anyway expand the software (even via 'cracking' it), you'd be at risk.

    Facebook just recently decided that if you want to keep using the Quest2 VR headset you purchased under an assumption that it'd remain under your control, you now will have to link it to a valid Facebook account. I expect they'll get away with that unless there's a bored millionaire or really dedicated crowd-funding group willing to put up the money to fight it – and at best the benefit would only apply to anyone buying before the Facebook requirement.

  2. What kind of 'scientist', physicists whose best efforts would be more beneficial to society by improving say energy production or space flight? Political scientists who have lots of theories they are interested in proving, whether or not they have any contact with reality (note: my degree was in this area); social scientists who draw definite conclusions from unrepeatable experiments conducted with poor controls and shoddy statistical analysis?

  3. Truer nowadays in the age of the pandemic.

    In the lockdowns, the main source of entertainment is a computer. But even before that, we spent many, many hours stuck to a screen, either a cellphone, tablet, a computer or a TV, which also are computers nowadays.

  4. Yep, even just reading your thoughts and feelings at every moment is scary.

    If we have seen the kind of abuse possible by having all your personal data on the cloud for NSA/PRC consumption, and those data are outside of your head, what makes us think having them extracted directly from your brain would be a good idea?

    Having the external device injecting moods, sensations and ideas into your brain makes it into true nightmare fuel.

    And worse because it is tempting. Mood altering drugs are a serious problem because so many people want to change how they feel. Making it into an implantable device would make it almost irresistible.

  5. Your post is no different than someone complaining that the Wright Bros didn't create a 500-person transoceanic passenger plane right after they made their first test flight at Kitty Hawk.

    When developing new technology, simple test runs are done first before moving up to something more complex.

  6. "a monkey that spends its time playing computer games"

    yes, this is the description of most of humanity.

  7. So everyone who wants power does a science degree, which quickly becomes a dumbed down "science studies" ie. "labs for scabs".
    It ends up having as much effect on the new leader's behaviour as having her do a class on "ethics".

  8. One problem, the bandwidth of consciousness is only 5-10 bps, and that is your BS filter.
    With 100000 bps you have no say in what you learn; you become an automaton.

  9. "Neuralink has a monkey with a wireless implant in their skull who can play video games using his mind"
    Damn that's cool, I guess being the President you get to try out the new stuff first. Lucky old bastard.

  10. We need to replace our politicians with Scientists and become a Science centric society where science and advancement is what we strive for, not dollar bills and bigger houses.

  11. When can we replace our government and bureaucrats with them? The quality this century has left something to be desired all around the world.

  12. Success! The first step has been taken and eventually people in wheelchairs may walk and those impaired may be repaired. The future is still shining.

  13. Can't blame him for working on things where success isn't effectively illegal. Which is where things stand with nuclear right now.

  14. I will never allow hardware in my wetware… A better solution is a "thinking cap" that can be removed at will.

  15. Good he's working for the future.

    But I've different opinions about these technologies.

    Cheap and reusable space launchers are a very good thing. Same for better boring machines and EVs.

    On Neuralink I'm split. It's good for restoring nerve connections and fixing disabilities. But it's an iffy proposition for leisure and as a lifestyle choice.

    Would you put real life crappy, hackable, exploitable commercial networked hardware inside your brain, even it it's able to change what makes you, you?

    I know I won't without a strong reason (e.g. fixing disability). And that probably could turn out to be a disadvantage in the future, when some people say yes, and they get some apparent benefits for a while, but paying the price much later.

    It recalls me what's depicted in Alastair Reynold's Revelation Space novels, where the Demarchist society embraced nanotech even in their bodies, and all was good for a while until the melding plague hit.

  16. I wish he'd spend a little time working on nuclear reactors.

    The solar and battery thing is cute, but let's be real.

  17. Monkeys using BC interface playing games or controling something on computer

    Is this really new and groundbreaking?

  18. Another sick billionaire that wants an uninterrupted access and eventually control to your brain. Being true to himself, his approach is more brute, more comprehensive, more literal.

  19. So the most advanced being on the planet is currently a monkey that spends its time playing computer games. Good work Elon.

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