Elon Musk gave an interview to France 2 on the sidelines of the Viva Tech trade show, covering topics such as the relationship between Twitter and the European Union, his fears about artificial intelligence and Tesla's future in France.
Elon Musk, the billionaire head of SpaceX, Tesla and now Twitter, gave an interview to France 2 on June 16 on the sidelines of the Viva Tech trade show, which was broadcast on Monday June 19. As always, his answers fueled as much controversy as they did enthusiasm.
The Twitter-EU tug-of-war
Elon Musk, recently self-proclaimed "Emperor of Twitter" since his acquisition of the company, has confirmed his intention to respect European law when it comes to misinformation. "Twitter will obey European law," he declared, referring to the growing tension between the social media giant and the European Union.
Last May, Twitter withdrew from the European code of good practice against disinformation, provoking a series of reactions on the Old Continent. This declaration suggests that relations between Twitter and the EU may be easing.
The eternal fear of artificial intelligence
Elon Musk has never hidden his concerns about artificial intelligence, which he sees as a potential threat to humanity. The billionaire has reiterated his distrust, insisting on the risks that AI poses for manipulating public opinion and, in the worst-case scenario, starting a war.
Despite his reticence, Elon Musk is no stranger to the world of AI. He co-founded OpenAI, the company that developed the GPT-4 language model, and his Tesla company makes extensive use of AI for the autonomous driving of its cars. What's more, he has set up a mysterious company dedicated to AI, and has invested a substantial sum in the purchase of AI-dedicated chips.
The next Gigafactory in France?
One of the most eagerly awaited topics of the interview was the location of Tesla's next Gigafactory in Europe. Despite two meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron this year, Elon Musk remained evasive on the issue.
"I think it's a good thing to localize production [of cars] because otherwise you have to import them. It takes a lot of energy to transport cars around the world," he declared. A remark that echoes the recent announcement of a review of the ecological bonus in France, aimed at encouraging local production of electric vehicles.
Elon Musk also showed a certain opportunism, declaring himself a fan of President Emmanuel Macron, whom he believes is "doing everything he can" for France. Nevertheless, he refused to confirm the future factory's location in France, saying only that it is "very likely that Tesla will do something in France in the coming years".
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