Elon Musk has told the world that he has prepared machines that think outside of that, predicting that artificial intelligence “could surpass the sum of human intelligence in about five years”.
This prediction, made in a wide-ranging interview with The Economist, remains a clear challenge for every UK company weighing up whether AI is worth it. If Musk is right, the tools now entering the offices of SMEs are on a five-year path to overshadowing the people who use them.
Musk, who became the world’s first billionaire last month after SpaceX floated in the US, framed the change as an opportunity rather than a threat. The most likely outcome, he said, was “a period of incredible abundance”, and he intended to “enjoy the ride”.
For owner-managers, the practical question is timing. Around a quarter of UK businesses now use some form of AI, according to the Office for National Statistics, a figure that has risen sharply in two years. Musk’s timeline suggests that the cost of accommodating it is rising rapidly.
He was frank about the dangers. “I still think there is a risk associated with AI and robots. It’s not zero,” he said, having previously warned of 10-20 percent that technology could destroy humanity. His conclusion, however, was to “look on the bright side”.
“I don’t see any way to really stop this incredible momentum of AI and robotics,” he added. “Sometimes I think, ‘Even if there was a stop button, we probably shouldn’t press it because the potential outcome is a wonderful overflow for all’.”
That hope will be read differently from the firms that cater to the upheaval. The Tony Blair Institute has warned that AI could eliminate up to three million jobs in the UK, as it creates new, restructured jobs that could fall disproportionately across sectors and regions.
Musk’s book on keeping technology alive should be of interest to any business concerned about who’s minding the shop. Instead of government oversight, he supports policing AI labs alone, saying regulators don’t have the technical ability to judge what’s safe to release.
“That’s where I think the competitors can be honest with each other,” he said. “I think it’s very difficult for someone in the government who doesn’t have a deep understanding of the technology and who doesn’t drive the frontier of AI to know if something should be released or not. However, competitors I think can, if given a week or two to review the new model, highlight the problems.”
The interview was not just about technology. Pressed on previous claims that the UK is headed for “civil war”, Musk said: “When you have a large and fast-growing, fast-growing group of people whose beliefs are contrary to the beliefs of the West, at some point there will be a response.” He admitted that he had not visited the country “for a few years”, although he has been “a hundred times”.
The comments affect the live trading sensor. Immigration is part of the government’s Restoring Control Immigration white paper, and business groups have warned that tougher rules on skilled workers could hamper growth without immediate domestic training.
Musk also expressed regret when he led President Trump’s Doge spending cuts. “I think I got too involved in politics, I got carried away, frankly,” he said. It’s rare for a man whose fortune has receded below the trillion mark to be approved. For businesses in his slipstream, the most consequential forecast is the one with a five-year clock on it.
