Elon Musk told Viva Technology that he thinks parents need to limit the amount of time their kids spend on their screens, warning of AI systems designed to maximize dopamine. His comments arrive amidst a buzz of discourse, led primarily by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, on the profound impact of social media and smartphones on Gen Z.

Musk acquired X, formerly Twitter, citing concerns about censorship and “shadow banning.” However, he admitted to Viva Technology that social media has deeper issues than just bad actors controlling who does and doesn’t have a legitimate voice. The algorithms embedded in apps like Instagram and TikTok are specifically designed to addict and instantly gratify the user, keeping her engaged and scrolling for hours. YouTube has started to offer short videos akin to those on TikTok and Instagram reels. Here is Musk on his concerns:

Musk continued to share a bit of his more bizarre notions of AI at the Viva Technology Conference, saying how it would be a “benign scenario” if AI took all our jobs. Good for us, though, because we’ll be chilling as billionaires as the robots do all the heavy lifting. He is concerned, per a report from Gizmodo, that AI isn’t interested in telling the truth and always reflects the biases (in this case, the politically correct biases) of its creators. Google’s Gemini will surely go down in history as the classic example of this reality. Maxwell Zeff writes,

Musk, who not long ago signed a letter to demand a pause on AI development for the greater good, has now joined the rapid AI race with his xAI startup and chatbot, Grok. He considers his startup the one AI company that will save humanity from all the others, but that’s how all the AI startups talk about themselves.

Elon Musk Says AI Will Take Your Job (Bad), but You’ll Be Rich (Good), With No Purpose (Hmm) (gizmodo.com)

Tech lords often vacillate between hype and doom, and Musk, who signed a petition to curb AI research until its effects are known, falls into that tendency, too. AI is undoubtedly becoming a more prominent figment in our digitalized world; the question remains how to stay human and use new technologies responsibly and in a way that enhances and serves the human, instead of vice versa.