X to train AI models with users’ posts
X plans a change to its privacy policy that will allow information posted by users to be used to train its AI models. Musk says X will train AI models only with publicly available information. It will not use “DMs or anything private.” The updated policy states that the company:
may use the information we collect and publicly available information to help train our machine learning or artificial intelligence models for the purposes outlined in this policy.
Musk: trans daughter a ‘full communist’
According to Musk biographer Isaacson, Musk says his daughter’s school turned her into a “full communist” who thinks rich people are “evil.” (Vivian, who is transgender, legally changed her name and gender in 2022, partly to distance herself from Musk.) Isaacson says that Musk’s rift with Vivian “pained him more than anything in his life since the infant death of his firstborn child Nevada,” who died just 10 weeks old of sudden infant death syndrome. He says that Musk was “generally sanguine” when he first learned of his child’s transition, but things changed when Vivian began expressing extreme Marxist views and declared her intention to sever all ties with her father. Musk partly blames her private K-12 school, “Crossroads,” in Santa Monica, saying:
She went beyond socialism to being a full communist and thinking that anyone rich is evil.
DOJ sues SpaceX for hiring discrimination
The U.S. Department of Justice sues SpaceX for discriminatory hiring practices, accusing the company of discouraging asylum seekers from applying to open positions and refusing to hire those who did. The complaint says SpaceX’s “routine, widespread, and longstanding” hiring practices “harmed asylees and refugees,” alleging that its job postings wrongly stated that only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents could apply. (Exactly which positions those were is unclear, but U.S. law protects asylees and refugees from hiring discrimination in general, regardless of their citizenship status.) After the investigation began, Musk tweeted:
US law requires at least a green card to be hired at SpaceX, as rockets are considered advanced weapons technology.
The DOJ says Musk was incorrect, however, and the tweet is being used as evidence in the suit.
Musk: X to file action against anti-hate legislation
Responding to a post blaming “hate misinformation” for a potential “draconian crackdown on free speech” in Ireland and elsewhere, Musk says X Corp. will “be filing legal action to stop this.” This comes after controversial anti-hate legislation passed the Dáil in Ireland, waiting to be approved by the Seanad.
X will be filing legal action to stop this. Can’t wait for discovery to start!
Exactly.
X will be filing legal action to stop this. Can’t wait for discovery to start! https://t.co/ROxXEuO8it
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 23, 2023
Musk: ‘How does the medicine taste?’
Musk mocks users on X for complaining about plans to remove the platform’s “block” feature (which he announced in response to an account questioning its utility), asking how “the medicine” tastes and saying that he is using the feature while it still exists to ignore users who want it to stay.
Pretty fun blocking people who complain that blocking is going away. How does the medicine taste?
Pretty fun blocking people who complain that blocking is going away.
How does the medicine taste? 😂😂
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2023
SpaceX profitable: first quarter 2023
Documents reveal that SpaceX turned a small profit during the first quarter of 2023. After two annual losses, the company generated $55 million in profit on $1.5 billion in revenue. (First-quarter results are preliminary, though, while annual results are final.) SpaceX is also valued at roughly $150 billion at an employee stock sale, putting its valuation near those of Intel and Disney.
Musk live-streams Grimes ‘Sonicmania’ set in Japan
Visiting Japan for the first time since 2014, Musk shares a poster of the all-night “Sonicmania” music festival and then live-streams it on his X account. (The poster features his ex-girlfriend, Grimes.) Stars like American DJ and rapper Flying Lotus, UK singer and rappers James Blake, Shygirl and Slowthai, The Stickmen Project, Thundercat, and Zutomayo are expected to perform at Sonicmania.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
Musk: ‘arrived in amazing Japan’
On X, Musk announces his first arrival in Japan since 2014, calling it “amazing Japan” and adding two Japanese flag emojis.
Just arrived in amazing 🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇵
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2023
Musk: ‘Zuck is a chicken’
Musk calls Zuckerberg a “chicken” after the Meta founder says it is time to forget about their caged fight. In another post, he says Zuckerberg “can’t eat at chic fil a because that would be cannibalism.”
Zuck is a chicken
Zuck is a chicken
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 13, 2023
He can’t eat at chic fil a because that would be cannibalism
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 13, 2023
Tesla cuts China Model Y prices
Tesla lowers prices on its Model Y long-range and performance versions in China. The move comes after sales of China-made Tesla vehicles fell 31%, and it is followed by a 2.7% drop in Tesla shares. Tesla reduced the starting prices of both models by 14,000 yuan ($1,935). The Model Y Long Range’s starting price is down 4.5% to 299,900 yuan, and that of the Model Y Performance is down 3.8% (349,900 yuan). Between August 14 and September 30, Tesla is also offering insurance subsidies in China of 8,000 yuan for buyers of the entry-level, rear-wheel-drive versions of the Model 3.
Musk: ‘fight is on’ at Zuckerberg’s house
Musk says he is going to Zuckerberg’s house “tonight” to fight him in an unscheduled bout.
For the Tesla FSD test drive in Palo Alto tonight, I will ask the car to drive to @finkd’s house. Will also test latest X livestream video, so you can monitor our adventure in real-time! If we get lucky and Zuck my actually answers the door, the fight is on!
For the Tesla FSD test drive in Palo Alto tonight, I will ask the car to drive to @finkd’s house.
Will also test latest X livestream video, so you can monitor our adventure in real-time!
If we get lucky and Zuck my 👅 actually answers the door, the fight is on!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 14, 2023
King: Model S a ‘good automobile’
King says his Tesla Model S is a “good automobile” that has never given him “a speck of trouble.” Purchased in 2013, King concedes that his car does not have “the same range as” newer models, but defends the vehicle and says it “still goes fast.”
Never mind Twitter, what about the car? I bought my Tesla Model S in 2013…it’s never given me a speck of trouble. Still goes fast. Good automobile.
Never mind Twitter, what about the car? I bought my Tesla Model S in 2013. Doesn't have the same range as the newest ones, but it's never given me a speck of trouble. Still goes fast. Good automobile.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 13, 2023
Grimes takes credit for Musk’s ‘dick measuring’ tweet
Grimes takes credit for Musk’s “dick measuring” challenge to Zuckerberg. In July 2023, after calling Zuckerberg a “cuck” in a Twitter post, Musk challenged him to “a literal dick measuring contest.” Grimes says that while she did not exactly tell Musk to write the tweet, she gave him the idea for it, but she “didn’t think he was going to tweet it.”
I’m going to take credit for that one…I was like, why don’t you cut to the chase and get out a ruler. I didn’t think he was going to tweet it.
Musk: X will pay ‘unfairly’ treated users’ legal bills
Musk says that if any X (formerly Twitter) users are treated unfairly by their employers for posting or liking something on the platform, X will pay their legal bills and even sue on their behalf. Financial assistance from X will have no limit, he says, and asks that users “let us know” if they have experienced unfair treatment for their activity on the site.
If you were unfairly treated by your employer due to posting or liking something on this platform, we will fund your legal bill.
No limit.
Please let us know.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2023
Musk: ABC prefers ‘censorship-friendly’ social media
Musk says ABC prefers “censorship-friendly” social media after the company announces it is shutting down all but four of its X (formerly Twitter) accounts. ABC will now operate just four accounts on X: ABC News, ABC Sport, ABC Chinese and ABC Australia. While still posting to its main @abcnews X account, ABC’s media team will be trying to grow its TikTok audience. ABC’s managing director David Anderson says “toxic interactions” on X led to the move.
[C]losing individual program accounts helps limit the exposure of team members to the toxic interactions that unfortunately are becoming more prevalent on X. Concerningly, X has reduced its trust and safety teams. Additionally, it is introducing charges which make the platform increasingly costly to use.
Musk writes:
Well of course they prefer censorship-friendly social media. The Australian public does not.
‘Master of Coin’ leaves Tesla
Zachary Kirkhorn, Tesla’s chief financial officer, resigns after four years in the post. Kirkhorn earned $1.2m in salary as CFO and walks away with $168m in Tesla stock and options. (When he was promoted to CFO, Kirkhorn was granted the secondary title of “Master of Coin,” a reference to the TV series Game of Thrones.) On LinkedIn, Kirkhorn thanked Musk for his “leadership and optimism, which has inspired so many people,” but gave no reason for his departure. Tech analyst Dan Ives said Mr. Kirkhorn was “a key part of this historic Tesla turnaround the last five years” and that his departure was “a blow in the near term” for Tesla.
Zuckerberg ‘ready’ to fight Musk
Zuckerberg says he is “ready today” for his cage fight with Musk. He says he even proposed a date for it on Threads (August 26th), but Musk has not responded. Musk has said that he might need surgery for a neck and back problem and has to undergo an MRI scan. He says the exact date of the fight is “in flux.” Zuckerberg reportedly has been eating 4,000 calories a day and has built an octagon in his backyard.
I’m ready today… but [Musk] hasn’t confirmed.
Biographer: Musk considers father ‘evil’
Musk biographer Walter Isaacson says Musk told him “vivid and psychologically brutal tales” about his past, calling his father “evil” and a “terrible human being,” while Errol gave his side “forcefully.” (Musk previously described his father as “evil” in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone.) Isaacson’s biography describes Musk being beaten regularly by bullies as a boy, but says the physical scars from that trauma were “minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father – an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.” Isaacson says Musk inherited many of his most distinctive traits from his father Errol, who “instilled his drive but also his demons, beginning at an early age.” Crying, Musk said this about his father:
He was such a terrible human being, you have no idea. My dad will have a carefully thought-out plan of evil. He will plan evil. Almost every crime you can possibly think of, he has done. Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done. It’s so terrible, you can’t believe it.
Tesla accused of inflating in-dash range projections
Tesla faces accusations of hyping the range of its EVs, raising consumer expectations beyond what the cars can actually deliver – a practice that apparently started about ten years ago for marketing purposes. Three experts say Tesla EVs often fail to achieve their advertised range estimates and their own equipment’s projections. The company allegedly rigged its range-estimating software by writing algorithms for the range meter that would display optimistic projections for the distance the vehicle could cover on a single charge. When the battery fell below 50%, the algorithm would show drivers more realistic projections for their remaining driving range. The vehicles were designed with a “safety buffer” to prevent drivers from getting stranded as their predicted range started declining more quickly, allowing about 15 miles of additional range after the dash readout showed an empty battery. The directive to give customers optimistic range estimates apparently came from Musk himself, who “wanted to show good range numbers when fully charged.”
Tesla accused of stifling range complaints
Tesla faces accusations of creating a “Diversion Team” in Las Vegas to suppress thousands of driving range complaints from its customers. With its service centers flooded with appointments, Tesla instructed some of its employees to stop customers complaining about poor driving range from bringing in their EVs for service. Many of the customers had expected better range based on the company’s advertised estimates and the projections displayed by the cars’ in-dash range meters. Apparently, thousands of customers were told nothing was wrong with their car, even with no diagnostics. Tesla managers told “Diversion Team” employees that they were saving the company about $1,000 for every canceled appointment. Inside the Nevada team’s office, some employees celebrated canceling service appointments by putting their phones on mute and striking a metal xylophone, triggering applause from coworkers who sometimes stood on desks. The team often closed hundreds of cases a week and staffers were tracked on their average number of diverted appointments per day.