Walter Isaacson, the renowned author who has written biographies of Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein, recently spoke with On The Money about his new book on Elon Musk. In the interview, Isaacson discusses the controversy surrounding a correction to a Washington Post article, Musk’s views on journalism, and his leadership style. He also explores the differences between Musk and other innovators like Steve Jobs, and reflects on Musk’s regrets and addiction to social media.
Regarding the Washington Post correction, Isaacson explains that he mistakenly misinterpreted Musk’s statement about Starlink and Ukraine. While Musk denied enabling Starlink for an attack, Isaacson thought Musk had turned it off that night. Isaacson corrected the statement to clarify Musk’s denial of their request to enable it. Despite the correction, Isaacson believes the main issue is whether Musk should have the power to enable or disable such attacks.
Isaacson discusses Musk’s approach to journalism at X, highlighting the challenges of balancing free speech and guarding against misinformation. He acknowledges that while social media platforms may have gone too far in the past by limiting certain discussions, Musk’s idea of “freedom of speech not freedom of reach” may pose problems. Isaacson believes that Musk and X CEO Linda Yaccarino will need to find a balance between amplifying problematic voices and maintaining a responsible platform.
Isaacson also comments on Musk’s leadership style and his impact on Twitter after he asked 80% of employees to leave and committed to a “hard-core” approach. While Isaacson believes some CEOs may see Musk as a blueprint for cutting staff and pushing boundaries, he warns that it can also have negative effects on company culture and service. He discusses the different cultures in tech companies, from nurturing and balanced to hardcore and demanding.
Musk’s recent move to change Twitter’s name to X is seen by Isaacson as part of his vision to transform the platform into a broader content and payment platform, similar to WeChat. Isaacson acknowledges that Musk’s ambitious goals may lead to success, but also cautions that he risks burning out.
Comparing Musk to other innovators like Steve Jobs, Isaacson emphasizes their unique strengths and weaknesses. He notes that while Musk excels in manufacturing and engineering and pushes people hard, Jobs possessed a spiritual sense of beauty and a love for design. Isaacson suggests that he may one day write a book comparing and contrasting the various geniuses he has written about.
Regarding Musk’s regrets, Isaacson believes that he regrets impulsivity and stirring up unnecessary drama, which can harm his goals. Isaacson characterizes Musk’s love for tweeting as an addiction, comparing it to a palate cleanse that provides excitement. However, he suggests that impulse control may have hindered Musk’s success in areas like space exploration and electric vehicles.
On the topic of alien life, Isaacson explains that Musk believes human consciousness may be unique in the universe and that there is no evidence of other conscious beings. This belief drives Musk’s passion for space exploration, sustainable energy, and making artificial intelligence beneficial rather than harmful to humanity.
Finally, Isaacson addresses the changes in journalism over the past 20 years due to the rise of social media and the declining influence of traditional media gatekeepers. He views the increased accessibility of journalism as a positive development, allowing more voices to be heard.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
