Elon Musk has had strong, if not controversial opinions about certain matters, and he shares yet another opinion on Twitter about technology's negative effects on humanity, despite him being the CEO of several companies that are tech-centric.
Elon Musk Agrees with Kaczynski
Theodore John Kaczynski, more known as Ted "Unabomber" Kaczynski, was a bomber who terrorized civilians between 1978 to 1995. The Unabomber died in prison just this Saturday, which led to a Twitter user quoting a statement the 81-year-old terrorist said.
Kaczynski believed that the Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster to the human race, to which Elon Musk replied: "He might not be wrong." This seems a bit off given that he's the CEO of companies that contribute to technological advancements.
He might not be wrong
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2023
One of his biggest companies, Tesla, largely contributed to the ongoing rise of production in electric vehicles. Although vehicles powered by renewable energy are a good thing, it does invalidate the idea that technology could be detrimental to humanity.
Musk is also the CEO of Neuralink, a company that is currently developing a chip that can be implanted in the brain. As a matter of fact, the company has finally gotten FDA approval to conduct human trials, as reported by The Guardian.
Even though there are many issues that can come with the technology, its main goal is also to help people who have limited mobility due to certain medical conditions. The tech billionaire has also created X.AI to develop artificial intelligence that will not cross lines.
Perhaps Musk is referring to other kinds of technology, which are the ones that cause actual harm like military technology or ones that destroy the planet. Still, none of them, even the ones that help people, would be possible if the Industrial Revolution did not take place.
It's not just the fact that Elon Musk is a tech billionaire, with emphasis on the "tech." One reason why his agreeing to the statement may be controversial is because of the deeds of the man who said them, considering that Kaczynski was a terrorist.
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Ted 'Unabomber' Kaczynski
Kaczynski, nicknamed Unabomber, created homemade bombs which caused the death of three people and injured 23 in the late 70s up to the mid-90s. He targeted academics, businessmen, as well as civilians during his attacks.
The Unabomber used the US mail system to deliver the bombs, with his actions fueled by hatred of the modern world and technology. He was eventually apprehended in 1996 by no less than 40 FBI agents, according to The New York Times.
He was also regarded as a genius, and not because of his ideologies, but because of his academic prowess. As a boy, Kaczynski scored 167 on an IQ test and got into Harvard at 16 years old. He was even skilled in mathematics.
Reports say that while in graduate school at the University of Michigan, "a member of his dissertation committee estimated that only 10 or 12 people in the country" understood his work. He even became an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
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