A petition launched by Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI), an advocacy group for artificial intelligence, is urging President-elect Trump to appoint Elon Musk as a special adviser on AI during his second term. The nonprofit organization believes Musk’s expertise makes him an ideal candidate to help maintain the United States’ leadership in the rapidly evolving AI sector.
Satya Thallam, ARI’s senior vice president of government affairs, expressed strong support for Musk’s potential role, stating that Musk’s experience and influence make him uniquely qualified to guide the administration on the challenges and opportunities of AI technology. Thallam emphasized Musk’s dual role as both a pioneer in AI development and a vocal critic of its potential dangers.
From Tesla to xAI, Musk’s vast AI experience might soon shape U.S. policy under Trump’s administration
Musk’s involvement in AI spans several ventures, including co-founding OpenAI, the organization behind the popular ChatGPT tool, which triggered a competitive surge in AI model development among tech companies. Additionally, Musk established his own AI company, xAI, and has made AI a central focus at Tesla, his electric vehicle company.
Despite his active participation in AI innovation, Musk has consistently raised alarms about the risks associated with the technology, aligning with ARI’s mission to advocate for responsible AI policies that prioritize public safety.
Musk’s previous attempts to influence AI development include his effort to buy DeepMind to prevent Google from acquiring the AI lab, driven by concerns over the direction that Google’s leadership might take. Musk also sued OpenAI and its co-founders earlier this year, accusing them of misleading him into backing their venture under the premise of creating safe AI, only for the company to deviate from its original goals.
In its petition, ARI argues that Musk would be an invaluable asset in guiding the Trump administration on AI, provided proper safeguards are in place to manage potential conflicts of interest. The nonprofit aims to gather 10,000 signatures in support of the petition over the next month.
Musk has become a prominent ally of President-elect Trump, and his involvement in the next administration is expected. The president-elect has suggested Musk could lead an initiative focused on reducing government costs.
Musk has also demonstrated his support by contributing millions to a pro-Trump super PAC, which played a role in mobilizing voters in swing states, while also using his platform on X, the social media platform he owns, to bolster Trump’s messaging online.
