In a highly controversial statement, Elon Musk estimated that artificial intelligence (AI) has a 10-20% chance of developing in an extremely negative direction (for the planet).

The owner of X, the automaker Tesla, and the space company SpaceX is participating as a speaker at the 8th FII conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This statement carries additional weight coming from Musk, who is known for his investments in AI development and, until now, has defended its safety despite concerns about its future evolution.

However, this is not the first time the billionaire entrepreneur has commented on the dangers of AI.

According to Bloomberg, the conference includes executives from Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and Citadel, with Musk invited via live streaming to discuss AI.

“I believe that artificial intelligence poses a significant existential threat and something we need to be very cautious about,” Musk stressed.

Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Musk reaffirmed predictions he made months ago, warning that AI carries the risk of “wiping out” humanity.

Nonetheless, he added a more optimistic note, suggesting there is now an 80-90% chance that AI’s development could yield positive outcomes.

“I think it will be capable of doing anything a human can do, possibly within the next one to two years,” Musk told the conference. He also predicted that by 2040, around 10,000 humanoid robots might be in operation.