A heated exchange has unfolded between Yann LeCun, Meta's vice president and chief artificial intelligence (AI) scientist, and Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO.
The conflict began when LeCun responded to Musk's post on X advertising job openings at Musk's AI venture, xAI.
In his post, LeCun criticized Musk's treatment of scientists and labeled many of the billionaire's opinions as "dangerous for democracy, civilization, and human welfare."
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Musk responded by questioning LeCun's recent scientific contributions, implying that LeCun was simply following orders instead of showing independent thought.
In his subsequent response, LeCun acknowledged his appreciation for Tesla products but then strongly criticized Musk's treatment of the scientific community and his "false predictions," like achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) by 2025.
LeCun delved into Musk's alleged attacks on democratic values, emphasizing the significant role of a free and diverse press in maintaining reliable information and a functioning democracy. He argued that Musk's hate for traditional media aligns with authoritarian tactics to undermine democracy.
Furthermore, LeCun accused Musk of promoting wild conspiracy theories to serve his own interests. He referenced instances where Musk allegedly spread misinformation, such as the "PizzaGate" scandal and claims about election fraud. He stated:
One would expect a technological visionary to be a rationalist. Rationalism doesn't work without Truth.
As of the time of writing, Musk has yet to respond to LeCun's criticisms.
Overall, this public altercation underscores the conversation about the responsibilities of tech leaders in promoting accurate information and ethical conduct within the industry.
It is not the first time Musk has been publicly criticized. In April, Ripple CTO David Schwartz challenged Elon Musk's policy of charging X users, saying it contradicted his proclaimed advocacy for absolute free speech.
