During a conversation on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk, the owner of the social network X (formerly known as Twitter), revealed some information. When asked by the leader about online anti-Semitism and how X could prevent the use of robots – armies of robots – to reproduce and amplify it, the billionaire responded that the company was considering implementing a small monthly payment for the use of the X system.
« I cannot reword »
Les robots – des comptes gérés par des programmes informatiques plutôt que par des humains – sont courants sur X, où ils peuvent être utilisés pour amplifier artificiellement des messages politiques ou attiser les flammes de la haine raciale. « Parce qu’un robot coûte une fraction d’un centime – appelez-le un dixième de centime – mais si quelqu’un doit payer ne serait-ce que quelques dollars, un montant mineur, le coût effectif des robots est très élevé« I cannot reword »
A statement that has shocked social media users, which now claims to have « 550 million monthly users, » according to Musk. In May 2022, Twitter had indicated that it had approximately 230 million daily active users. « If he really does it, it will kill the site. Regardless of the cost. Most people won’t pay (…). This will kill the site and advertising revenue in one fell swoop. It’s incredible, » reacted Ed Zitron, CEO of a media relations company and columnist for Business Insider, on the social media platform.
Fausse bonne idée
The tech mogul has made numerous changes since acquiring the social network for $44 billion in October of last year, when it was still known as Twitter. He has laid off thousands of employees, introduced a paid option, removed content moderation, and reinstated previously banned accounts, including that of former US President Donald Trump. According to data from Travis Brown, a social media specialist developer, less than 5% of the 407,000 accounts that had the old free blue badge have subscribed.
« From an economic model perspective, it could be argued that it is a good option for Twitter to charge its users, as the company has never been able to establish an effective advertising system compared to other social platforms like Meta, » warns James Cooper, director of the Business of Apps agency, in a statement to AFP. « However, Twitter’s value lies in the network effect associated with having a large user base. Universal pricing of the service would decimate the user base and therefore destroy the value of the network, » he cautions.
« At this point, the optimal solution would be to enhance the value of its paid subscription services, by improving its advertising offerings and considering new revenue sources such as transactions, rather than mandating everyone to pay for the current service, » he further added.
Elon Musk se défend d’antisémitisme
La conversation entre Elon Musk et Benjamin Netanyahu a en tout cas eu lieu alors que le patron de X est embourbé dans une dispute avec l’Anti-Defamation League (ADL), une organisation juive basée aux États-Unis. Il estime que cette ONG a fait fuir les annonceurs du réseau social avec des accusations, selon lui infondées, au sujet de la progression rapide des discours de haine sur le réseau social depuis qu’il l’a racheté. Il l’a alors menacé de poursuites judiciaires pour des milliards de dollars.
« I know that you are determined to fight against any collective hatred of the people that anti-Semitism targets, and I hope you will succeed. It is not an easy task, but I encourage you to find a balance, » said Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting the United States this week for the United Nations General Assembly.
Elon Musk a répondu qu’il ne pouvait pas empêcher la publication de tous les messages de haine sur X. Le dirigeant controversé a en revanche assuré qu’il était « contre toutes les attaques de tout groupe de personnes, quel que soit le groupe ». « Je suis en faveur de ce qui fait avancer la civilisation et qui nous permettra au final de devenir une civilisation spatiale, où nous comprenons la nature de l’univers. Nous ne pouvons pas y arriver s’il y a beaucoup de luttes intestines, de haine et de négativité », a-t-il détaillé.
AI, between « blessing and curse »
The interview, which lasted just under an hour, primarily focused on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI), its potential benefits, and its dangers for society. Benjamin Netanyahu listed advancements and promises – in life expectancy, medicine, robots to assist the elderly, the end of traffic congestion on land and in the air, automation in industry and agriculture, and « the end of shortages. » However, there are also numerous perils, especially for democracy, when AI is used for harmful purposes or if it were to « take control of humans. »
« I believe that in many ways, we are currently at a turning point for all of humanity, where we must choose between a blessing and a curse, » stated the Israeli Prime Minister.
Elon Musk, qui a fondé sa propre entreprise d’IA cette année, a fait part de son optimisme sur la capacité des dirigeants internationaux à coopérer pour éviter des catastrophes liées à cette technologie. « Tout sport a un arbitre d’une sorte ou d’une autre », a-t-il lancé, appelant à éviter une course effrénée à l’IA comme celle aux armes nucléaires.
The billionaire regularly issues warnings about the dangers of AI and has held discussions with political leaders, from Washington to Beijing, on this subject. Last week, he participated in a series of closed-door meetings in the US Congress, alongside other tech giants such as Mark Zuckerberg from Meta and Sam Altman from OpenAI, as the United States works on new laws to better control this technology. « There is a strong consensus in favor of AI regulation, » commented Elon Musk last Wednesday after a meeting. « Even if the regulation is not perfect, (…) the consequences of an AI slip-up would be serious. »
(Avec AFP)
