Meta’s AI Chief Criticizes Elon Musk for Conspiracy Theories

Yann LeCun, Vice President and head of AI at Meta, has criticized billionaire Elon Musk, labeling him a “danger to society” and a spreader of “crazy conspiracy theories.”

The public spat began on May 27, when a Meta representative mocked the entrepreneur’s post about recruiting staff for the AI startup xAI.

Join xAI if you can stand a boss who:
— claims that what you are working on will be solved next year (no pressure).
— claims that what you are working on will kill everyone and must be stopped or paused (yay, vacation for 6 months!).
— claims to want a “maximally rigorous pursuit…

— Yann LeCun (@ylecun) May 27, 2024

“Join xAI if you can stand a boss who […] claims to want a ‘maximally rigorous pursuit of truth,’ yet spews crazy conspiracy theories on his own social platform,” he wrote. 

Following this, Musk questioned LeCun’s competence, asking what “science” he had done in the past five years.

What “science” have you done in the past 5 years?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 27, 2024

In response, the Meta Vice President stated that he had published “over 80 technical papers” since 2020, but this did not convince the billionaire. In another post, Musk implied that his opponent lacked the acumen to run a company, suggesting he “just follows orders.”

On June 2, LeCun published a lengthy post titled: “My Opinion of Elon Musk.” 

My opinion of @elonmusk
I like his cars (I own a 2015 S, and 2023 S), his rockets, his solar energy systems, and his satellite communication system.
I also like his positions on open source and patents.

But I very much disagree with him on a number of issues.

I disagree with…

— Yann LeCun (@ylecun) June 2, 2024

The developer began by stating that he owns two Tesla cars and respects other technologies from the world’s richest man’s companies:

“I also like his position on open source and patents. But I very much disagree with him on a number of issues. I disagree with how he treats his scientific staff.” 

LeCun believes Musk has also created unnecessary “hype” with promises of real AI by 2025. He then accused the entrepreneur of undermining democracy. 

“Say what you want about ‘traditional media,’ but you cannot have reliable information without professional journalists working for a free and diverse press. Democracy cannot exist without it, which is why only authoritarian enemies of democracy disparage the media,” the Meta executive asserts. 

LeCun is convinced that Musk “spreads crazy conspiracy theories without hesitation, as long as they serve his interests.” For instance, the businessman supported PizzaGate and claimed that “illegal immigrants undermine US elections.”  

No response to the lengthy critique has yet been made. 

In November 2023, OpenAI head Sam Altman and Musk clashed over the sense of humor of chatbots. The former expressed skepticism about the comedic abilities of xAI’s Grok neural network. The billionaire did not leave the jab unanswered.

In May 2024, Musk identified artificial intelligence as his primary concern. He stated that the development of the technology could eliminate the need for humans to work.