On this site, those who follow it know, I have always tried to look beyond appearances. In this interview with Elon Musk, however, the boundary between reality and fiction becomes as thin as a fiber optic cable. His answers shine with (artificial) intelligence, but something grates in the processor of logic. So, let's try to clarify.
The elephant in the room
I like to get straight to the point, especially when the elephant in the room is the size of a Starship. On Futuroprossimo.it we often talk about Elon Musk, of his innovations, of his visions. And we do it without preconceptions, avoiding both demonizing and sanctifying him. Today, however, we must talk about that gesture, that moment that made the blood run cold in the veins of millions of people.
It's not a real interview, unfortunately. It's an exercise of imagination, an attempt to give voice to the questions we all ask ourselves. Because sometimes, to understand reality, you have to go through the mirror.
Elon Musk, impossible interview for an incredible gesture
“Elon, let’s get right to the heart of the matter. That gesture during the speech, so similar to a Nazi salute… Was it really necessary?”
Interesting how everyone sees what they want to see, Gianluca. It's like looking at clouds: some see a rabbit, some a dragon. I was simply expressing enthusiasm, like a conductor at the end of a symphony. You know, I've already received accusations of anti-Semitism, and last January I visited Auschwitz just to show that they are unfounded. I saw with my own eyes what hate can do when it takes control. I cried. I mean, maybe I cried, in front of those empty shoes, those details. Anyone who saw those horrors could never, ever do something like that intentionally.
Listen, I have to say it.
“The richest man in the world behind the most powerful man in the world, on the top step of the world with a package of ketamine this high: what do you think could go wrong?”
Here I would like a nervous laugh Oh, I love your sharp humor! It reminds me of the good old days of PayPal, when I slept under my desk and ate only instant ramen. See, power is like a rocket: if you don't control it properly, it explodes. And believe me, I know about explosions. But seriously, ketamine is legally prescribed, and the step height is perfectly OSHA compliant. The real question you need to ask, ask yourself, ask me is: why are we so obsessed with the small details instead of focusing on saving humanity by getting us to Mars?
Details?
Occam's Razor's Edge
“Last question: don’t you think that this tendency of yours to provoke, this constant playing on the razor’s edge, could be harmful? Not only for you, but for all the companies you have created?”
Ah, the famous “reputational risk”! (smiles You know what’s really risky? Not doing anything for fear of criticism. Tesla almost went bankrupt in 2008, SpaceX has almost gone bankrupt three times. But look where we are now! My companies don’t depend on my tweets or my gestures. They depend on thousands of brilliant engineers working day and night to change the world. And yes, sometimes I do things that seem crazy. But that’s the point: to push boundaries, to provoke discussion, to make people think. It’s like Arthur C. Clarke said: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. And any sufficiently audacious provocation is indistinguishable from madness.
Impossible Interview with Elon Musk: The Facts
As I said, I have always tried to keep a balanced view on innovation. We celebrated the successes of SpaceX, analyzed the promises of Neuralink, discussed the challenges of Tesla. This exercise of imagination, however, leaves me with more questions than answers. And I'm not the only one, and not from today.
On the other hand, it is an attempt to make sense of the senseless. His imagined responses were articulated, at times just as one would expect from him. But I can't help but notice how, even in my AI-mediated imagination, his words sound like a perfect demonstration of what in psychology is called cognitive dissonance.
How can one reconcile a visit to Auschwitz with that gesture? How can you talk about saving humanity while flirting with symbols that represent the worst of humanity itself?
Perhaps it is true that genius and madness are two sides of the same coin. Perhaps it is true that one cannot innovate without provoking. But there is a line, thin and crucial, between the tension that stimulates progress and that which takes us back decades.
For now, we can only hope that the next tweet, the next gesture, the next provocation of Musk are closer to Mars than to the depths of human history.
In the meantime, in the style of Futuro Prossimo, let's keep hope alive, but never turn off our brains. Never.