Vladimir Putin said there is ‘no stopping’ X-owner, Tesla founder and Neuralink-creator Elon Musk as he gushed over the ‘smart’ tech mogul.
The Russian leader heaped praise on Musk during a sit-down with Tucker Carlson that was released on Thursday night.
Putin was asked by Carlson about whether an ‘AI empire’ is on the horizon, pivoting the conversation to Musk whose Neuralink company has reportedly implanted a microchip into a human brain.
‘I think there’s no stopping Elon Musk. He will do as he sees fit,’ Putin told Carlson.
‘Nevertheless, you’ll need to find some common ground with him. Search for ways to persuade him. I think he’s a smart person. I truly believe he is.
‘So you’ll need to reach an agreement with him because this process needs to be formalized and subjected to certain rules.’
Putin’s comments came after he warned that mankind is ‘currently facing many threats due to the genetic researchers’.
‘It is now possible to create this superhuman. A specialized human being,’ Putin added.
‘A genetically engineered athlete, scientist, military man. There are reports that Elon Musk has already had the chip implanted in the human brain in the USA.’
He likened the development of AI to the threat of nuclear weapons or the development of gunpowder.
‘It is impossible to stop research in genetics or AI today, just as it was impossible to stop the use of gunpowder back in the day,’ ,’ Putin said.
‘But as soon as we realize that the threat comes from unbridled and uncontrolled development of AI or genetics or any other field, the time will come to reach an international agreement on how to regulate these things.’
Musk indicated that he was tuning in for the historic interview, but did not directly respond to being name-checked by the politician
Elsewhere in the interview, Putin spoke favorably about his relationships with former presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump.