Elon Musk Issues Warning about 'Humanoid Robots' in AI 'Age of Abundance'

Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the end of a world-first AI summit in the UK. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP
Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the end of a world-first AI summit in the UK. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP
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Elon Musk Issues Warning about 'Humanoid Robots' in AI 'Age of Abundance'

Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the end of a world-first AI summit in the UK. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP
Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the end of a world-first AI summit in the UK. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP

The owner of X Elon Musk on Thursday predicted the future with AI would be an "age of abundance" with a "universal high income" instead of a universal basic income but warned of "humanoid robots" that might chase humans.

Musk was speaking during a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak following a world-first AI summit at Bletchley Park in the UK, said AFP.

The SpaceX and Tesla CEO said there would come a point when "no job is needed" in the one-to-one with Sunak which was held later in London.

Jobs instead would be just for those who wanted one for "personal satisfaction".

AI was like "a magic genie" that gives you any wishes you want, Musk added, quipping however that those fairy tales rarely end well.

"One of the future challenges is how do you find meaning in life?" he said.

Musk cautioned that "we should be quite concerned" about humanoid robots that "can follow you anywhere".

The tech billionaire stressed the importance of having a physical off switch.

"A humanoid robot can basically chase you anywhere," he said.

"It's something we should be quite concerned about. If a robot can follow you anywhere, what if they get a software update one day, and they're not so friendly any more?"

Sunak responded that "we've all watched" movies about robots that end with the machines being switched off.

The two-day gathering at Bletchley wrapped up Thursday with Western governments and companies involved in so-called next generation "frontier" AI agreeing a new safety testing regime.



Amazon Reveals its First Color Kindle E-reader after Years of Development

Amazon's Kindle e-book app is seen on an iPhone in an illustration taken April 11, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Amazon's Kindle e-book app is seen on an iPhone in an illustration taken April 11, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Amazon Reveals its First Color Kindle E-reader after Years of Development

Amazon's Kindle e-book app is seen on an iPhone in an illustration taken April 11, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Amazon's Kindle e-book app is seen on an iPhone in an illustration taken April 11, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Amazon on Wednesday announced its first color Kindle e-reader following years of effort to bring the more immersive device to market.

The 'Kindle Colorsoft' carries a $280 price tag that compares with similar devices from other manufacturers available on Amazon in the range of $149 to $330. The Colorsoft relies on LEDs and other technologies to achieve the color display, according to a company statement.

Amazon had tried in prior years to develop color e-readers using eInk -- the technology available in its standard Kindles that requires minimal battery power. The Colorsoft will have a roughly eight-week battery life, compared with up to three months for its latest generation Paperwhite e-reader, Reuters reported.

The Seattle retailer also unveiled a new Paperwhite with a 7-inch screen, measured diagonally, two-tenths of an inch larger than the most recent generation's. It also revealed an updated Kindle Scribe e-reader, which allows users to jot onto the screen with a stylus and convert that into more legible text.

Users' in-book notations can be summarized by artificial intelligence software that can convert pages of notes into bullet points, the company said.

Amazon is still the market leader in e-readers, commanding more than three quarters of the market, by some measures. The devices are built to last for years and the company has said it sells them for close to cost, making money when people purchase books or other reading materials.

The COVID-19 pandemic fueled a surge in e-reader use, as many libraries stayed closed to enforce shelter-in-place policies but still offered wireless downloads of e-books.

Kindles are often put on sale during discount events, such as Prime Day. The Colorsoft will ship to customers on Oct. 30 and the new Scribe will ship on Dec. 4.