Musk's Davos debut: US tariffs are a problem for solar power
Elon Musk made his Davos debut at the last minute on Thursday. He criticized U.S. Solar Tariffs, set aggressive Tesla targets, such as humanoid robot sales next year, and hinted that European approval of self-driving technology would be within weeks.
Larry Fink, interim co-chair of the World Economic Forum, interviewed the richest man in the world after he had described the annual meeting for years as being elitist and unaccountable, and detached from the ordinary people.
BlackRock's CEO expressed admiration for Musk as the discussion began. The topics included the future of robots, AI, economic benefits of "reusable rockets" and Musk’s childhood fascination with Science Fiction.
Musk's prominence has increased in recent years due to his proximity to U.S. president Donald?Trump, and his stewardship over firms such as Starlink, which owns SpaceX, and xAI, an artificial intelligence startup.
Musk, who broke ranks with Trump in his support of renewable energy, said that the United States can produce enough solar power for all its electricity requirements, including the booming demand due to the proliferation of Big Tech’s power-hungry, data center-driven businesses.
He added, "You could use a tiny corner of Utah or Nevada - just a very small portion of the U.S. area - to generate all the electricity the U.S. needs."
Musk stated that "Unfortunately, tariff barriers are very high for solar and this makes the economics to deploy solar artificially high."
Trump has openly criticized clean energy sources, while encouraging oil majors and oil companies to drill for more oil and gas.
The freeze on major onshore solar and wind projects has left thousands megawatts in limbo, at a crucial time for the U.S.
'WE DO NOT WANT TO BE IN TERMINATOR.'
The interview didn't touch on the other geopolitical, economic and political themes that dominated this week's forum. This included Trump’s ambitions for
Greenland
Instead, focus on robotics and technology.
The two joked about life on Mars, aliens and the "Terminator film series".
"We must be very careful when it comes to robotics. We don't wish to be in a James Cameron film. We love his movies but we do not want to be in Terminator," Musk said, referring?to the fictional AI from the "Terminator' films that turns against humanity.
Musk was one of the most prominent executives to speak at the Swiss resort this week. He predicted that robots would eventually outnumber people, leading to an economic boom. Musk also joked about going to Mars.
He said, "People ask me if I want to die in Mars. I say: 'yes. But not on impact ','"" towards the end. This brought laughter from the audience.
His appearance in Davos is scheduled
xAI Grok on X launches probes, imposes bans and demands safeguards in a global push to curb illicit material.
(source: Reuters)
