Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and CEO, says there is a 30 percent chance the first Martian would be artificial superintelligence (AI).
Musk revealed the likelihood of an AI becoming the first inhabitant of the Red Planet on Twitter on Thursday, Dec. 27.
AI As The First Martian?
A Twitter user tweeted at Musk asking him about any chance the first permanent resident of Mars could be an AGI or an ASI. Musk replied saying that there is a 30 percent chance that the artificial superintelligence, not humans, would be the first to claim the Red Planet as home.
30% — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 27, 2018
According to Inverse, the billionaire space tech entrepreneur made such a “bold proclamation.” Back in July last year, Musk called on state governors to act fast on artificial intelligence (AI), which he said is “a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization.”
For Musk, there is a slim chance that an AI would become the first Martian. In fact, the 47-year-old believes that he, too, will be visiting at some point in his life. Last month, he said that he considered moving permanently to Mars, giving it a 70 percent chance that it might actually happen.
Mars Colony In 2025
Also in November, the SpaceX CEO expressed confidence that a Mars colony would likely arrive on the Red Planet as early as 2025. If such is the case, Musk could be looking at the possibility that artificial general intelligence (AGI) would set foot on Martian soil earlier than humans.
His company, the SpaceX, aims to finish building two Starships by 2022. The space shuttles will be using a different fuel to its Falcon 9 rockets, which will allow humans to refuel and return to Earth. The company's initial missions would pave the way for Musk's ambitious vision to build a colony on Mars in about seven to 10 years from now.
Musk further stated that Japanese billionaire Yukazu Maezawa will be joined on board the Starship by six to eight artists and creators. He wants that these talented group of people will be able to draw some inspiration out of the trip to create new artworks. These space travelers are scheduled to take a tour around the moon in 2023.
Meanwhile, in 2019, SpaceX is slated to take on some short "hop tests" of Starship at the Boca Chica facility in Texas.
