Tensions between Elon Musk and shareholders: accusations of negligence towards Tesla | Festina Lente - Your leading source of AI news | Turtles AI

Elon Musk recently denied reports that Tesla was considering licensing AI models developed by xAI, a startup founded by Musk himself. According to a Wall Street Journal article, Tesla was considering using these models to improve its autonomous driving software, known as Full Self-Driving (FSD), and to develop additional features in its vehicles, such as a voice assistant and software for the humanoid robot Optimus. However, Musk quickly dismissed these claims, clarifying that Tesla does not need licenses from xAI. 

Key points:

•  Elon Musk denied that Tesla is considering licensing AI models developed by xAI.
•  xAI, the AI startup founded by Musk, will not provide AI models for Tesla’s autonomous driving software.
•  Musk has clarified that xAI’s models are too large and complex to be used in Tesla vehicles.
•  The denial comes after a Wall Street Journal report that suggested a possible collaboration between the two companies.

Musk explained that although Tesla has benefited from discussions with xAI engineers, the startup’s AI models are too large and complex to run on the on-board computers in Tesla vehicles. These models, he said, contain a compressed amount of human knowledge and would not be compatible with Tesla’s hardware, nor would there be any interest in using them in that context. In addition, Musk stressed that the models developed by Tesla are highly optimized for the specific needs of autonomous driving and must operate on much less powerful hardware than the resources required by xAI’s models. 

This statement comes at a delicate time, as some Tesla shareholders have expressed concerns about the potential conflict of interest between Tesla and xAI, claiming that Musk might divert resources and talent from Tesla to his new startup. Musk’s public denial thus also appears to be a move to reassure investors about the clear separation between the two companies, despite the synergies that could emerge from their parallel activities.

 Musk has made it clear that Tesla and xAI, while collaborating in some areas, will remain separate entities, with Tesla continuing to develop its own AI solutions without relying on xAI’s models.