Technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, and co-founder of multinational technology giant Apple, Steve Wozniak, has criticized Elon Musk, billionaire CEO of Tesla and also owner and CEO of Twitter, for failing to fulfill the promise to launch self-driving cars.
Wozniak also said Tesla could kill, referring to the car model as an example of artificial intelligence (AI) “gone wrong.”
Wozniak Slams Musk on Failed Promise
In a recent interview with CNN, Steve Wozniak was asked about his relationship with Elon Musk, with the former responding that he has neither met nor spoken to the Tesla and Twitter boss. The Apple co-founder also praised Musk’s efforts to encourage the use of electric vehicles but criticized the CEO’s failure to deliver self-driving cars.
Wozniak noted that Musk first promised to introduce a self-driving car by 2016, leading Wozniak to upgrade to his model with $50,000. However, the car didn’t perform as promised. Another model with eight cameras was touted to self-drive at the end of 2017, which Wozniak also believed would happen.
However, the tech mogul said none of the promises are even close to reality. Instead, the Apple co-founder said:
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“If you want a study of AI gone wrong and taking a lot of claims and trying to kill you every chance it can 0 get a Tesla.”
When also asked about Musk’s management of the microblogging platform Twitter, Wozniak said he had no opinion on the matter, as he avoids social media.
The Tesla chief bought and took over Twitter in 2022 after an initial termination of the deal and a lawsuit. Musk’s first action as the Twitter owner was to fire CEO Parag Agrawal, along with some of the company’s top executives. There were also reports that hundreds of Twitter employees were looking to exit the firm after the billionaire gave an ultimatum for workers to sign up for longer hours or leave.
Wozniak Says He’s Not Afraid of AI, Calls for Regulation
Meanwhile, Wozniak clarified in the CNN interview that he was not worried or living in fear of AI but said that it was important to be careful about not allowing the technology to be used negatively. In March 2023, the tech entrepreneur, along with Musk and other heavyweights in the technology space, signed an open letter to halt the development of AI systems more advanced than GPT-4 for six months.
Wozniak added that powerful technology could be beneficial as well as harmful but said that something as powerful as AI can be used by bad people for “really evil purposes.”
The Apple co-founder further called for regulation that could ensure that companies will have ethical concerns. However, the Apple co-founder acknowledged that global regulation was impossible.
While Wozniak has expressed concern about the emergence of more powerful technology tools, the philanthropist has heaped praises on bitcoin, calling it a “mathematical miracle” in 2021 and putting the asset above gold. In a later interview in 2022, the engineer referred to bitcoin as the “only one that’s pure-gold mathematics.”
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