-
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman hopes a second Trump term can usher in an era of AI innovation.
-
In a recent op-ed for The Financial Times, he shared several concerns he has for the government.
-
Hoffman warned that Elon Musk should not use his relationship with Donald Trump to boost xAI.
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman said Elon Musk has a “serious conflict of interest” when it comes to guiding a second Trump administration on AI policy in the US.
In an op-ed published Friday in The Financial Times, Hoffman said Musk’s advisory role to Donald Trump could pose a conflict of interest as the xAI founder guides the president-elect on artificial intelligence laws.
“With direct ownership of the young AI startup xAI, Elon Musk, who advises Trump in many areas, has a serious conflict of interest when it comes to setting federal AI policy for all US companies,” Hoffman wrote. “Using its position to benefit xAI in any way, such as awarding government contracts, encouraging federal agencies to unfairly target AI companies, or imposing new regulations limiting exports, will be to the detriment of US technological, economic and cultural security and competitiveness. “
Musk did not respond to a request for comment. Hours after the FT published the op-ed, Musk responded to an X-post unrelated to Hoffman’s column, criticizing people who post on LinkedIn.
“I immediately lose respect for anyone who posts on LinkedIn,” he said. “Unbearable cringing.”
Hoffman, who is also co-founder of Inflection AI, shared his hopes and concerns about Trump’s second term in the FT op-ed.
Hoffman credited the Biden administration with leaving behind a “strong, Democrat-developed economy” and said he was hopeful Trump could build on that, leading to more business investment and technological innovations around artificial intelligence.
But he also warned that a Trump White House could stifle innovation by being unwilling to work with U.S. global allies to develop technology like AI.
“While Trump campaigned on a promise to make America more unilateral and insular, I continue to believe that a pluralistic, multilateral approach creates innovation and prosperity in an increasingly networked world,” Hoffman said. “That extends to AI. In contrast, I expect the administration to pursue a mercantilist AI policy that will deny long-standing global allies access to U.S. models, infrastructure and technology.”
A spokesperson for Trump’s transition team did not respond to a request for comment.
Hoffman and Musk have a bitter rivalry dating back to the PayPal days in 2000, when Musk’s then-online banking company X.com merged with Confinity, a security software company, to become PayPal.
The two CEOs have become more public about their rivalry lately, especially over political disputes. Musk, who has gradually moved to the Republican Party over the years, is a vocal supporter of Trump. Hoffman endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign.
After Trump’s victory on November 5, Musk has already spent a lot of time in Trump’s inner circle and has been tasked with leading a new Department of Government Efficiency aimed at reducing the size of the federal government .
Hoffman did not respond to a request for comment.
Read the original article on Business Insider
