Elon Musk (Full Interview) | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

Bill Maher interviews Elon Musk on Real Time, covering his many projects, free speech, Twitter, the role of technology in history, and his political views.

Key Takeaways

Technology is presented as the main driver of major historical change.
Musk advocates for free speech and warns against censorship, even of offensive speech.
Musk rejects labels of far-right extremism and describes himself as politically moderate.
The interview blends serious policy debate with comedic banter and audience engagement.

What the video covers

Bill Maher introduces Elon Musk, citing his work on electric cars, reusable rockets, Neuralink, Hyperloop-style transport, and Starlink's role in Ukraine.
Musk jokes about his workload and says he works a lot, deflecting the idea that he is a dangerous figure.
Maher and Musk discuss how a small number of people, including tech figures, drive large societal change.
Musk argues technology such as the printing press and the internet causes major step changes in civilization, comparing the internet to a global nervous system.
The conversation turns to free speech, with Musk arguing censorship is dangerous and that speech laws in some countries, such as France, are stricter than in the US.
Musk discusses Twitter, saying the platform was acquired partly to protect free expression and that it is often criticized unfairly.
Musk describes himself as a moderate rather than a far-right figure, pushing back on Maher's framing of his politics.
The two discuss cancel culture and the perceived shift of progressive or left-leaning groups toward censorship.
Maher and Musk touch on regulation, arguing for some oversight of dangerous industries like aviation and pharmaceuticals.
The segment is conversational and comedic, with frequent audience laughter and applause, and the interview is partly a light-hearted exchange.

Chapters

What is Elon Musk's view on the role of technology in history?

Musk argues that technology causes big step changes in civilization, citing the Gutenberg press and the internet. He describes the internet as giving humanity a kind of global nervous system with access to nearly all information.

How does Musk describe his political views in the interview?

Musk says he thinks of himself as a moderate rather than a far-right figure. He points to his work on sustainable energy, electric vehicles, batteries, and solar as evidence that his views are not extreme.

What does Musk say about free speech and censorship?

Musk argues that censorship is dangerous because it can later be turned against those who advocate it. He notes that speech laws in some countries, including France, are stricter than in the United States.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

my first guest is the man who made electric cars a thing and is currently working on perfecting reusable rockets, space travel, connecting the human brain directly to computers, connecting cities with electromagnetic bullet trains, the Starlink satellite system that's so important to the war in Ukraine, and then, on Twitter, he also tweets a lot. Elon Musk. Wow.

Speaker A

Ukraine and then on Tuesday on traffic he also tweets a lot Elon Musk wow [Music] what did I get the full order of things that you do in a day there when I was reading there I left out the tunnel

Speaker A

[Music]

Speaker A

I do have a long work day um yeah so I work a lot I'm so thrilled you're here because you know we do a show where we talk about what changes happen in the world and but we just talk there's a very few people

Speaker A

What did I get? The full order of things that you do in a day. There, when I was reading, I left out the tunnel thing at the end.

Speaker A

yeah [Laughter] and you seem to laugh it off which I think is fantastic I love it that you have a sense of humor because a guy as important as you who makes changes could use your powers for evil and not good

Speaker A

Um, do you work on all these? A lot of jobs. Do you do all these things every day? Do you work on all of them in a single day?

Speaker A

yeah you like laughing you like to be funny I kill me right [Applause] as opposed to somebody like Zuckerberg who I'm not even sure is a real boy yeah um yeah I I actually love comedy and and uh

Speaker A

No, no, but I do have, I do have a long work day. Um, yeah, so I work a lot.

Speaker A

okay but that has always been my view is that as I was a history major and when you study history what you realize is that you know there's the great man Theory and they talk about Kings and princes and queens and presidents it's

Speaker A

I'm so thrilled you're here, because you know we do a show where we talk about what changes happen in the world, and we just talk. There are very few people who actually make change happen. You are one of those people, probably. Um, you know, I just want to say, I just want to say I love this audience.

Speaker A

us just play it would you agree with that assessment I think I think technology is the thing that causes these big step changes in in Civilization so obviously you've got things like say the Gutenberg Press um before which uh right it was very

Speaker A

[Applause]

Speaker A

beyond beyond the bug price I think but you know it's it's a like when I first saw the internet uh coming into being in a way that that the general public could use it it felt like the what the the humanity as a whole was

Speaker A

Well, you're a likable guy. I mean, thanks. I mean, they attack you a lot.

Speaker A

like having a nervous system it's like any part of of humanity has access to almost all the information of humanity hmm like you could be in the in the middle of the Amazon jungle uh whether it's a starling terminal and have access

Speaker A

They do, yeah.

Speaker A

quickly so I think a lot of people thought when you bought Twitter that this is kind of an outlier like how does this what doesn't fit with these other things you're doing I never thought that because I think you're dealing with big

Speaker A

[Laughter]

Speaker A

it's hyperbole to say things like it's pushing civilization towards suicide first of all what is the walk mine virus and if we don't deal with this nothing else can get done tell me why you think that yeah so

Speaker A

And you seem to laugh it off, which I think is fantastic. I love it that you have a sense of humor, because a guy as important as you, who makes changes, could use your powers for evil and not good.

Speaker A

very dangerous uh is that it's often anti-mureaucratic you can't you can't question things uh even the questioning is bad so uh you know you know another way to almost Anonymous would we cancel culture and obviously people try to cancel you

Speaker A

The fact that, absolutely, you could. Of course I would, yeah. Never use them for evil.

Speaker A

bigger group now yeah who who are called conservative who haven't really changed I don't see you think of you as a conservative definitely yeah like I I at least think of myself as a moderate uh you know uh so I mean

Speaker A

No, I know, but the way I know that is because you have a sense of humor.

Speaker A

a it's not exactly far right now you drew that diagram you drew that diagram once where you're here I I related to that and like the world has changed right I feel the same way I feel like very often

Speaker A

Uh, yeah. You really do.

Speaker A

where um like free speech used to be a left or liberal value and and yet we see uh from you know in quotes left uh a desire to actually censor um and uh that seems crazy I mean I think we

Speaker A

Yeah, you like laughing. You like to be funny. You kill me, right?

Speaker A

things would get you thrown into prison and they were like well we don't want that here and by the way in many parts of the world including possible that people might think are relatively similar to the United States the the speech laws are

Speaker A

[Applause]

Speaker A

or uh yes you could be sued easier there I mean there are a lot in in France I think if you deny the Holocaust which I think is abhorrent but I also think it should be part of free speech

Speaker A

As opposed to somebody like Zuckerberg, who I'm not even sure is a real boy.

Speaker A

in your life because obviously every speech that you like is uh yes that's easy um so it it's uh and it's the thing about censorship is that sure for those who would Advocate it um just remember at some point that will be turned on you

Speaker A

Yeah. Um, yeah, I actually love comedy. And, uh, actually, you know, many years ago I was in the audience here and watched your show.

Speaker A

I was I was trying to figure out where where it's coming from I think it's actually been a long time Brewing um in that it's uh I think it's been going on for a while um it it and

Speaker A

Oh, really? Been a long time admirer of your show.

Speaker A

high school and college is not the experience that that kids today are having um and and hasn't been for I don't know 10 years maybe 20 years so uh my parents themselves also a big part of the problem

Speaker A

Oh, well, thank you. Let me get back to you being ingenious.

Speaker A

they're equal I mean yeah let me let me let me give you an example that a Fairmont told me which uh you know his daughters uh go to college and and sorry go to high school in the Bay Area

Speaker A

Okay, but that has always been my view. As a history major, when you study history, what you realize is that there's the great man theory, and they talk about kings and princes and queens and presidents, but it's really the people in tech who change the world. They're the people who deal the cards, whether it's fire or electricity, for good or bad, or the cotton gin, or the iPhone, or the atom bomb. Those are the cards, and the rest of us just play them. Would you agree with that assessment?

Speaker A

was a slave owner what else right exactly nothing right like uh okay that's maybe you should know more than that you know yeah yeah that and that that is the world mind virus exactly yeah so exactly it's it's like you know the uh

Speaker A

I think technology is the thing that causes these big step changes in civilization. So obviously you've got things like, say, the Gutenberg press. Before that, it was very difficult to get books. They were very rare. Even if you had a thirst for knowledge, you really couldn't do anything about it, because there were very few books to read.

Speaker A

including people of color I'm sorry to tell you that it's huge in the Bible absolutely so the Bible loves it really yes they're quite strict about like you know don't take someone else's slave and that kind of thing right but

Speaker A

And the internet is something beyond that, I think. When I first saw the internet coming into being in a way that the general public could use it, it felt like humanity as a whole was developing a nervous system. Previously, the way information would travel was by osmosis, one person to another, or one person calling another. Access to information was very limited. Now, with the internet, it's like having a nervous system. Any part of humanity has access to almost all the information of humanity.

Speaker A

not doing bad right I mean I saw today that Tucker Carlson yeah recently fired you were just on his show and he lost his job so I hope this isn't enough yeah yeah but uh luckily uh the angel of

Speaker A

Hmm. Like, you could be in the middle of the Amazon jungle, with a Starlink terminal, and have access to more information than the president did in 1980.

Speaker A

million people that spend an average of half an hour a day on Twitter so it's about 120 to 130 million user hours per day and it's been increasing so um the we didn't do anything to be clear we did nothing special whatsoever I

Speaker A

Right. Well, anything on your phone. Everything is, yeah.

Speaker A

or or interested in current events um and um generally are pretty influential so but most of the people who tweet are the same people right I mean the people who actually tweet it's mostly just reading it yeah I feel like that's I've read

Speaker A

Okay. So you are one of these dealers, these people who deal the cards. And I feel some memes too quickly. I think a lot of people thought, when you bought Twitter, that this was kind of an outlier. How does this fit with the other things you're doing?

Speaker A

and I like it that the mayor likes my jokes but the reason I don't do it anymore is because the mob of Mean Girls is still there and that has not changed I know like it's too easy to get

Speaker A

I never thought that, because I think you're dealing with big civilizational issues and problems, and I was right on your page. I think Twitter is one of them. I mean, you have talked about this, the woke mind virus, yes, and in really apocalyptic terms, yeah. I don't think you should explain why you don't think it's hyperbole to say things like it's pushing civilization towards suicide.

Speaker A

Washington was a great president oh how dare you yeah yeah exactly had some flows but but how do you fix this instrumental in this Mr Mayor creation of the United States so yeah um well you have to say like what does

Speaker A

First of all, what is the woke mind virus? And if we don't deal with this, nothing else can get done. Tell me why you think that.

Speaker A

or any of your main 10 jobs but they could take mine and they did Once by the way yeah so still Affair you know I was like literally canceled yeah I mean like the Show is canceled so you but okay so you were in Congress

Speaker A

Yeah. So, um, I think we need to be very cautious about anything that is anti-meritocratic, and anything that results in the suppression of free speech. Those are two other aspects of the woke mind virus that I think are very dangerous. It's often anti-meritocratic. You can't question things. Even the questioning is bad.

Speaker A

let's have more babies and raise them on Mars I don't get that but okay well uh I just think we should be cautious about civilizational decline with with and we have plummeting growth rates um most places yeah right and also

Speaker A

Another way to put it, almost anonymously, would be cancel culture. And obviously people try to cancel you.

Speaker A

don't have enough food or water we will run out of water they're running they're running out of sand Earth is 70 Water by surface area um but you can't drink that desalination is absurdly Chief why don't we do it then we do it is you have a lot

Speaker A

Many times. Many times, yeah. I mean, every week.

Speaker A

were you were on this tip 10 years ago when nobody else was that and I always thought he's right why because I've seen too many movies everything that happens in movies that happens in real life and yeah you know if you make things that

Speaker A

Yeah.

Speaker A

last six months with chat GPT which came from a company you started yes [Laughter] um well I mean A friend of mine has a sort of modification of Occam's razor you know you know instead of the simplest thing being the most likely

Speaker A

I've had it from both sides.

Speaker A

that is a danger to the public uh if it's sort of uh aircraft uh cars uh Food and Drug and whatnot we've got some regulatory oversight like a referee essentially and making sure that uh companies don't cut Corners so

Speaker A

Yeah. It's interesting. You and I are both in that little group of people, maybe a bigger group now, who are called conservative, who haven't really changed.

Speaker A

don't do something lay out a scenario for me in the next two five ten years if nothing is done because we're very good at doing nothing especially when it comes in the way of profit and this is a big profit engine

Speaker A

I don't think of you as a conservative. Definitely.

Speaker A

2029. he's not far wrong right but he doesn't think it's a problem whereas people like you and Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking thought think it's a problem um yeah it depends if some people want to live forever or for a much longer

Speaker A

Yeah. I at least think of myself as a moderate. I've spent a massive amount of my life energy building sustainable energy, electric vehicles, batteries, and solar, to help save the environment. That's not exactly far right.

Speaker A

prefer to have ai artificial general intelligence than than not uh because it can figure out longevity so are you are you optimistic I read in your Rolling Stone article back in the day that you said you can never be happy

Speaker A

Now, you drew that diagram once, where you...

Speaker A

and you love your work then then you'll be I think fully happy if you lack either of those two if you have one of those two things be half happy you know roughly I feel like the theme in a lot

Speaker A

Yes, I related to that, and the world has changed. I feel the same way. I feel like very often wokeness isn't building on liberalism. It's the opposite of liberalism.

Speaker A

you know [Laughter] this is a comedy right you know it's hard for you because when you bought Twitter you're kind of doing what you did when you took over when you started Tesla you lived at the factory right I feel like that's your that's

Speaker A

Yes, exactly. I can mention many examples where it's the opposite, including free speech. Free speech is extremely important, and it's bizarre that we've come to this point where free speech used to be a left or liberal value, and yet we see, from the so-called left, a desire to censor. That seems crazy.

Speaker A

Twitter I just I was living in the in the library of Twitter for a while um yes but it's I think things are reasonably stabilized right now it was uh just on the fast track to bankruptcy after that position so I had to take a

Speaker A

I think we should be extremely concerned about anything that undermines the First Amendment. There's a reason for the First Amendment. People came from countries where they could not speak freely, where saying certain things would get you thrown into prison, and they said, we don't want that here.

Speaker A

with Twitter was to that it is somewhat of the digital Town Square and um it's it's important that there be both the reality uh and perception of of trust uh for a wide range of viewpoints um and uh there was a lot of censorship going

Speaker A

And by the way, in many parts of the world, including places you might think are relatively similar to the United States, the speech laws are draconian. England is quite different. I won't name any countries, but why are we protecting them? They have no free speech. It's very easy to prove libel in England, whereas here it's almost impossible. I wouldn't want to say the wrong thing.

Speaker A

what was going on there but um so so and I can since I'm like I have a Twitter user I could detect that like something's not right here um and so that's that's really why uh I did that

Speaker A

Yes, you could be sued more easily there. I mean, there are a lot of laws. In France, I think, if you deny the Holocaust, which I think is abhorrent, but I also think it should be part of free speech, you can be thrown in jail.

Speaker A

like flying at you of course but you know but you seem to handle that okay I hope you do because yeah look I mean Geniuses are going to be a little quirky sometimes but your heart is always in the right place you were

Speaker A

Okay. So, I really can't emphasize this enough. We must protect free speech, and free speech only matters when it's someone you don't like saying something. In your life, every speech that you like is easy. So the thing about censorship is that, sure, for those who would advocate it, just remember that at some point it will be turned on you.

Speaker A

places you can go thank you Elon Musk ladies and gentlemen all right I'll see you soon

Topics:Elon MuskBill MaherReal Timefree speechTwittertechnology and historycancel culturecensorshipStarlinkHBO interview

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