According to Elon Musk, X users generally share “100 million to 200 million” posts to the microblogging network each day.
Elon Musk engaged in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, strongly defending himself against accusations of antisemitism. During a broadcast discussion at Tesla’s Fremont, California offices, streamed on Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), Musk made it clear that he opposes antisemitism and any form of hatred or conflict.
Musk has been involved in an ongoing dispute with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish civil rights organization that he accuses of undermining X’s advertising revenue. The ADL, along with other civil rights groups, has raised concerns about the increase in extremist content on the platform since Musk took control of it last year and dismissed most of its staff. Musk recently threatened legal action against the ADL and has shown support for X posts using the “BantheADL” hashtag.
Netanyahu expressed hope that Musk would find a way, within the boundaries of the First Amendment, to combat antisemitism and hatred, recognizing that this is a challenging endeavor.
Musk acknowledged the immense volume of posts on the platform, ranging from 100 million to 200 million on any given day, making it challenging to preemptively police content. However, he expressed a commitment to taking measures to “deamplify” hate speech, emphasizing that X would not actively promote such content, as it doesn’t align with what users want to see.
Earlier this month, Musk stated that he is supportive of free speech but firmly against any form of antisemitism.
Netanyahu’s visit to Silicon Valley occurred ahead of his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He aimed to reassure top tech executives that he is not a pariah despite ongoing political turmoil in Israel. His reputation as a pro-business leader has suffered due to his efforts to weaken Israel’s judiciary, which have sparked months of protests supported by many tech entrepreneurs in the country.
During Netanyahu’s visit, Israeli tech workers residing in the Bay Area staged a demonstration to coincide with his presence. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the airport and hotel in California, chanting slogans like “shame” and “democracy” as the prime minister’s convoy passed by.
Netanyahu claimed Israel “was, is, and always will be a robust democracy” in a conversation with Musk, but he vowed to move forward with a proposal to alter the selection process for judges. The Israeli prime minister referred to his nation’s judiciary as “the most activist” in the world, but he promised to look for a “happy middle” in terms of limiting its authority.
Disruptive AI
As part of a full day of activities devoted to AI, the prime minister met Musk in order to highlight Israel’s AI potential. His schedule included a trip in an autonomous vehicle and a visit of the Tesla facility.
In order to attract the richest man in the world to invest in Israel’s AI businesses in the ensuing years, Netanyahu told reporters on the tarmac as he left Tel Aviv.
For the time being, investors support Israel’s tech startups.
An Israeli official travelling with the prime minister attempted to play down the difficulties with Musk prior to the meeting by claiming that it had been planned before the recent antisemitic controversy. According to the insider, Musk is not thought to have any anti-Semitic attitudes by Netanyahu.
When Netanyahu inquired about how Musk planned to prevent the proliferation of hate speech-amplifying bots on X, Musk revealed that the platform would transition to a model where users would need to make a modest monthly payment.
Musk acknowledged that this is a highly challenging issue, stating that it’s the primary reason for the shift to a subscription-based system. Under X’s current setup, operating a bot costs only a fraction of a penny, as the platform offers both free and paid tiers. By requiring users to pay a few dollars to access the service, Musk explained that it significantly raises the effective cost of using bots. This approach would compel bot operators to repeatedly set up new payment methods if they wanted to create new bots.
During a subsequent round-table discussion centered on artificial intelligence, Greg Brockman, co-founder and President of OpenAI, highlighted that the startup hasn’t faced significant pressure to rapidly deploy its technology; instead, the primary concern has been safeguarding user privacy.
Brockman noted that when OpenAI initially introduced its application programming interfaces for its GPT models, they had intended to monitor and record “everything” for data logging and potential issue resolution. However, he acknowledged that people strongly dislike such surveillance and desire privacy, even if they advocate for transparency in others.
In August, when OpenAI released a version of ChatGPT for businesses, they emphasized their commitment to privacy safeguards, including data encryption and a guarantee that customer information would not be used for developing their technology.
Netanyahu and Musk have maintained contact since 2018 when the Israeli prime minister hosted the SpaceX founder at his Jerusalem residence, according to an anonymous Israeli official. Their ongoing discussions have focused on the potential benefits and risks associated with artificial intelligence. Netanyahu’s spokesperson, Topaz Luk, confirmed that they have had multiple phone conversations about emerging technology.
During the Monday discussion, Netanyahu expressed concerns about the unchecked growth of artificial intelligence, highlighting potential risks such as the disruption of democracy, manipulation of public opinion, criminal activities driven by AI, and AI-related conflicts. He mentioned his intention to develop Israel’s AI policy in the coming months.
