Elon Musk talks 'tech support' governance as world leaders champion innovation-driven reforms at Dubai summit

DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 14, 2025 /CNW/ -- Wearing a "Tech Support"-printed T-shirt, Elon Musk virtually took to the stage on the final day of the World Governments Summit in a live discussion with H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, to share his vision for improving government efficiency.

Musk emphasized the urgency of streamlining operations, advocating for smaller, more accountable institutions to drive efficiency and economic growth.

The World Governments Summit, held in Dubai from February 11-13, brought together global leaders and experts to address critical challenges in governance, healthcare, and trade in the 21st century.

Now in its 12th edition, the Summit unveiled a suite of insights, key results, and actionable solutions developed by top policymakers, innovators, and thought leaders from around the world.

Musk stated: "We have the rule of bureaucracy as opposed to the rule of the people," and advocated for cutting regulations and government spending to stimulate economic growth, aiming for 4-5% growth without inflation by 2026.

"The overarching goal is to lay the foundation for prosperity that will last many decades, maybe centuries," Musk added. He stressed the importance of updating government technology, noting that many systems are outdated and inefficient, such as the manual pension system. "The U.S. government needs tech support," he quipped.

On foreign policy, Musk stated, "America should mind its own business rather than push for regime change," signaling a shift towards less international interference.

Musk also discussed Grok 3.0, his latest AI model set to launch in 1-2 weeks, calling it "scary smart." He added, "This might be the last time any AI is better than Grok."

Meanwhile, Joseph Tsai, Chairman of Alibaba Group, a user and admirer of Grok, argued that the value of AI isn't in having the smartest systems, but in their application in solving real-world problems.

He compared AI development to raising children, emphasizing that not everyone needs the "smartest child." He predicts that more resources will shift towards practical applications, leveraging open-source tools, which democratize AI development. He added: "Companies big and small can now develop AI together and contribute to the power of AI."

Beyond AI, both Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, said they looked forward to the imminent age of quantum computing, which they believe will spearhead the world into a new era.

Pichai said: "Google's quantum computing performed a computation in five minutes that would take the fastest supercomputer over 10 septillion years." He compared its current state to AI in the 2010s, predicting practical applications within 5-10 years.

Pichai added that for governments: "It's too early to regulate the technology, but I think it's important to come to a good understanding of it and then start preparing for it."

For more information, visit worldgovernmentsummit.org.

- Picture is available at AP -

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SOURCE World Governments Summit