[drzaiusapelord]

Musk is pretty self-serving here. He writes about how advanced AI will "destroy humanity" to keep interest in manned space and to discredit robot and science missions. Now he's cheerleading automotive AI because Tesla wants to sell it.

I really am starting to see him as an empty suit. He just does PR for his companies' current projects. That's fine, but he's not a visionary. He's salesman. I can't wait for his celebrity to wind down. Its more than a bit over the top now. Tesla seems like a failure to launch an affordable electric or an electric with realistic range at a sane pricepoint. SpaceX is doing well, but LEO theatrics are boring considering the SLS is geared to take us way past that.

I wish he'd buy into causes that don't personally enrich him once in a while. I'd love to see someone of his caliber stump for a radio telescope on the far side of the moon or on replacing cars with more efficient tram systems powered by electric wires instead of the unsolved and perhaps unsolvable problem of batteries that can compete with the convienance of gasoline.

[matthewmacleod]

This just seems needlessly picky, and I can't help but feel that you're expecting a little much.

Of course Elon Musk is self-serving, in the sense that he's talking about and promoting the benefits of projects that he's working on.

They're more impressive than you seem to be implying; Tesla's approach to tackling the existing automotive industry and introducing affordable vehicles is a long-term project, and considering we're about 11 or 12 years in, they seem to be making good progress. It's not something that many other companies have had the vision and drive to execute.

Likewise with SpaceX. There's a long-term plan to colonise Mars – that does seem pretty visionary, no?

And in terms of other projects, look at something like Hyperloop. You seem to imply that "efficient tram systems powered by electric wires" (a technology used everywhere throughout the world) would be more 'visionary' or something? That seems like an odd claim to make.

People treat Musk like a bit of a celebrity because he talks unashamedly of large-scale, long-term visions for things he wants his projects to achieve. That's amazingly attractive in a world where there is so much focus on the short term, and what can't be achieved. I'm not sure why you react so badly to that.

[drzaiusapelord]

The problem is that you're not a visionary if you're selling yesterdays solutions just sexed up a bit. An electric car is like selling a robotic horse. Urban areas need public trans solutions, not more cars.

SpaceX's offerings are underwhelming unless your goal is to stick to LEO forever.

The problem is, people just keep thinking of yesterdays problems (better cars, more LEO theatrics) and think better versions of that is "visionary." Its not. Its practically archaic. His flip-flopping on AI just cements his reputation as marketing entity who only exists to provide PR for his companies, some of which are just trying to solve yeterday's problems instead of todays.

[matthewmacleod]

I'll repeat - SpaceX literally has a goal of colonising Mars. The technology to get there requires small steps, and I have to think of that goal as pretty visionary.

You seem to be defining 'visionary' in a way I don't quite understand. What's 'visionary' about better public transport solutions? There are comprehensive public transport networks across the world, for example. We could definitely improve them, but it would hardly be visionary to do so.

[drzaiusapelord]

>I'll repeat - SpaceX literally has a goal of colonising Mars.

This is like saying that Facebook's goal is to give the 3rd world free internet. Its lofty PR speak. SpaceX only exist as a COTS beneficiary from NASA welfare to build rockets to LEO. It is literally incapable of doing anything else as it doesnt have the customers (who is paying $200 billion for that on way ticket to Mars exactly)?

Again, this is the marketing sci-fi smokescream Musk is good at. He fanservices what manboys wants to hear and they delightfully repeat his marketing for him as he sells luxury electric cars with poor range to the 1% and does the occasional LEO lift.

Years from now there will be a lot research into Muskmania. Why people bought into such a self-promoter and how well marketing works, especially on people who think they're immune to it is going to spill a lot of ink. It won't matter, we'll just move onto the next guy who promises things we refuse to cast a critical eye towards.

[matthewmacleod]

You are really overstating the degree to which 'Muskmania' exists.

It's pretty much just that people are excited about someone who appears to be genuinely interested in putting his money into some long-term, pie-in-the-sky projects. In a rather short-term-focused world, that's a refreshing thing. It's totally understandable that people want to hear about that, and certainly it looks pretty encouraging to me (free nationwide network of car chargers? re-usable rockets? Hyperloop? All pretty cool. Maybe not the salvation of humanity, but a nice change.)

However, I can see you clearly have an intense dislike of Musk for some reason, and won't be convinced by that. Probably better to leave it at that.