--- description: The Tesla and SpaceX CEO joins a list of science and tech leaders in an open letter voicing fears over artificial intelligence in weaponry. title: Elon Musk Joins The Call For a Ban On Autonomous Weapons image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4a791a4988b7a35a/69885c9a8e0601db934618ef/130611121421-elon-musk.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Elon Musk Joins The Call For a Ban On Autonomous Weapons by [Tom Huddleston, Jr. / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Tom Huddleston, Jr. / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 27, 2015 6:20 PM CUT  Tesla’s Elon Musk. Tesla’s Elon Musk.Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images by [Tom Huddleston, Jr. / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Tom Huddleston, Jr. / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 27, 2015 6:20 PM CUT Elon Musk has joined a long list of high-profile tech leaders and scientists calling for a ban of autonomous weapons created with artificial intelligence technology. Musk’s is one of many names affixed to an [open letter released Monday](http://futureoflife.org/AI/open%5Fletter%5Fautonomous%5Fweapons "undefined") by the Future of Life Institute (FLI), a Boston-based research organization cofounded by Skype cofounder Jaan Tallinn. The letter addresses the possible future of autonomous weapons, including “armed quadcopters” that rely on artificial intelligence to seek and destroy certain targets without direction from humans (as opposed to existing technologies such as armed drones that are remotely controlled by humans). FLI warns that such AI-controlled weaponry could be in use “within years, not decades” and that they represent “the third revolution in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear arms.” In addition to Musk, Stephen Hawking and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak also signed their names to the open letter, along with dozens of other scientists and tech industry representatives. While AI technology has the potential to do a lot of good for the human race, the letter reads, it could easily lead to “a global arms race” if that technology is applied to advanced autonomous weaponry. As an example of a potential autonomous weapon, the letter imagines “armed quadcopters that can search for and eliminate people meeting certain pre-defined criteria.” The letter goes on: --- > “” --- The CEO of [electric car company](http://fortune.com/inside-elon-musks-billion-dollar-gigafactory/ "undefined") Tesla Motors, Musk is no stranger to artificial intelligence, having [donated millions of dollars](http://fortune.com/2015/07/01/elon-musk-artificial-intelligence/ "undefined") to the cause of safe AI technology. Musk’s other projects include his role as CEO of [commercial aerospace company SpaceX](http://fortune.com/2015/07/01/spacex-launch-failure/ "undefined"), which makes unmanned rocket ships. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3973562/elon-musk-tesla-autonomous-weapons/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3973562/elon-musk-tesla-autonomous-weapons/"},"headline":"Elon Musk Joins The Call For a Ban On Autonomous Weapons","datePublished":"2015-07-27T18:20:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:06:10.495Z","description":"Tesla and SpaceX CEO adds his name to an open letter voicing concern over artificial intelligence in weaponry","url":"https://time.com/3973562/elon-musk-tesla-autonomous-weapons/","keywords":["Tech","Apple","Stephen Hawking","Weapons","Elon Musk","ARMs","AI","Steve Wozniak","pubdesk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4a791a4988b7a35a/69885c9a8e0601db934618ef/130611121421-elon-musk.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tom Huddleston, Jr. / Fortune"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4a791a4988b7a35a/69885c9a8e0601db934618ef/130611121421-elon-musk.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Official Opening Of The Geneva Motor Show","caption":"Official Opening Of The Geneva Motor Show","creditText":"Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3973562/elon-musk-tesla-autonomous-weapons/","name":"Elon Musk Joins The Call For a Ban On Autonomous Weapons"}}]}] ```