Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly Twitter), Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, addressed a packed Lumiere Theater at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, delivering a robust defense of free speech on his platform and sharing his vision for the future of AI.
During the session, titled “Exploring the New Frontiers of Innovation,” moderated by WPP’s Mark Read, Musk clarified his controversial remarks from last November, where he bluntly told advertisers to “go f–k yourself” in the context of free speech:
“It wasn’t to the advertising world as a whole. It was more with respect to freedom of speech,” Musk explained. “In some cases, advertisers were taking on censorship roles. Censorship and money, or free speech and losing money. We are going to support free speech.”
Musk emphasized that while advertisers have the right to choose where their ads appear, they should not dictate the content on the platform. “Advertisers have a right to appear next to content. That’s totally cool. What’s not cool is insisting there can be no content they disagree with on the platform. I believe in freedom of choice. A company like Red Bull will be more adventurous than some of the brands selling baby toys.”
When questioned about his own tendency to make controversial statements, Musk defended his approach as being authentic. “If you speak freely, you will sometimes say things that are foolish. If you speak through a filter you won’t be real. It’s better to be real.”
Despite losing many advertisers due to content and management issues on X, Musk reassured the audience of the platform’s commitment to good advertising standards. “If you want to reach the most important social media people in the world — intellectuals, writers, influencers — the X platform is the best. It reaches the most influential people in the world. If you want to reach them, X is the place to go.”
AI and News Aggregation
Musk highlighted the role of AI in transforming news aggregation, claiming that X is a better news source than traditional newspapers. “X is using AI to aggregate input from millions of users. This is going to be the new model in news. To aggregate information from experts in the field into a news feed. On the X system, although people have said it’s incorrect, it’s very quickly corrected. The internet is aggregating the wisdom in the field. Experts in the field know more than reporters.”
He predicted significant advancements in AI over the next few years. “I think it’s going to change things very fast. I think you will see quite big changes next year and quite radical changes within five years. The companies that succeed will be the ones that most effectively use AI.”
Future of AI and Creativity
Musk dismissed concerns that AI would stifle creativity. “It will enhance creativity and have a magic genie component. If you ask it, it will do it. Like I said, this is the most interesting of times.”
He also predicted that AI could surpass traditional search engines like Google, providing better results and creating a significant disruption in internet search.
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Space Exploration and Neuralink
Musk also shared updates on his other ventures, including SpaceX and Neuralink. He reiterated SpaceX’s mission to make life multi-planetary to ensure the survival of consciousness by moving people to Mars. Regarding Neuralink, he revealed that the first human recipient had received an implant, aiming to enhance human intelligence and create a symbiotic relationship between humans and AI.
“I’m motivated by curiosity about the nature of the universe,” Musk said. “The goal of SpaceX is to make life multi-planetary, to expand the life of consciousness. Our potential life span is much larger as a multi-planetary civilization.”
He remarked on his future with AI: “I suppose if AI likes me, it will keep me alive.”
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