Elon Musk: SpaceX, Mars, Tesla Autopilot, Self-Driving, Robotics, and AI | Lex Fridman Podcast

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0:00 - Introduction
0:07 - Elon singing
0:55 - SpaceX human spaceflight
7:40 - Starship
16:16 - Quitting is not in my nature
17:51 - Thinking process
27:25 - Humans on Mars
32:55 - Colonizing Mars
36:41 - Wormholes
41:19 - Forms of government on Mars
48:22 - Smart contracts
49:52 - Dogecoin
51:24 - Cryptocurrency and Money
57:33 - Bitcoin vs Dogecoin
1:00:16 - Satoshi Nakamoto
1:02:38 - Tesla Autopilot
1:05:44 - Tesla Self-Driving
1:17:48 - Neural networks
1:26:44 - When will Tesla solve self-driving?
1:28:48 - Tesla FSD v11
1:36:21 - Tesla Bot
1:47:01 - History
1:54:52 - Putin
2:00:32 - Meme Review
2:14:58 - Stand-up comedy
2:16:31 - Rick and Morty
2:18:10 - Advice for young people
2:26:08 - Love
2:29:01 - Meaning of life
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This is the best conversation between two robots that I’ve ever witnessed.

I find most interviews with Elon incredibly frustrating. Just shallow questions that don’t really do the man’s mind justice. This was great. Good job Lex.

I loved seeing the clever sense of humor between these two men especially in the very beginning when Lex told Elon to get closer. Lol! I laughed right along with them. Lex really brings out the best in his guests.

You gotta love the 20+ second long pauses of Elon diving deep into pondering a question

Lex and Elon for two and a half hours. Dreams do come true!

Dare I say that this is easily Elon’s best interview by far. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that it’s Lex on the other side of the table. Lex, you are getting better & better at this too💪🏽

I love Elon's laugh and ability to interject humor into the most serious of subjects. It's refreshing.

Nice video as always but here is my problem I have been making losses trying to make profit tradng. I thought tradng demo account is just like tradng the real market... can anyone help me out or at least advise me on what to do

Lex is the right person to be interviewing Elon.

This is the most laid back and relaxed version of Elon I've seen on any podcast.

The Terminator and the T 1000 having a conversation.....amazing.

Wow! What a great interview. He seemed very comfortable with you. You are a soothing person and he seemed very happy to answer them in depth. (Also, while smiling and genuinely excited. ) Lex, you are a wonderful soul, so kind, I love and respect your mind. I am happy to have you here in the U.S. and privileged enough to support and appreciate this podcast. - JacciRose 💮

I respect and appreciate Elons moments of pause to think and respond the way he wants, but damn there’s so many times I thought the podcast froze 🤣🤣🤣❤️

This was Elons best interview well done Lexicon

I watched this last night, and I could watch these two talk all night. ❤

I am so jealous of the intelligence and courage of both of these guys.

Elon musk is appearing on the pod almost as often as Michael Malice does! Getting my popcorn ready this one is a banger!

What a beautiful conversation between 2 Robots

Lex's compliment was so nicely worded. 👏 bravo! ❤

Thank you soooo much for the interview, Lex and Elon!!!! I am using this in my class of "AI Seminar" for my students💚💚💚💚

I love how Lex gives Elon time to think before answering the question, and that Elon takes time to think before answering.
We need more of that.

Ok Lex, we have something to watch today, thanks!

My 2 favorite minds on one video. I wish I could articulate my thoughts as well as you two! I would put myself out there working towards soooooo many causes!!! I respect the hell out of Elon and Lex for furthering humanities reach into new and exciting directions!!!! We can't survive without men like this steering us into a new world beyond our current abilities to perceive...kudos to you both.

This conversation is a gem.

Elon is such an extraordinarily busy person, so it means a lot for him to give 2.5 hours of his time to someone. It shows the level of respect that he has toward Lex -- respect that has been well earned.

Nothing is more sincere than a person taking time to ponder a question. It increases the probability that the answer will be useful…and mostly unique. Thanks Lex, thanks again Elon.

The discussion about full self driving was obsoletely fascinating! Great interview! I don't think people realize Tesla has changed their approach to FSD using photons and neural networks just like humans do. Amazing.

The podcast between Lex Fridman and Elon Musk is a fascinating and thought-provoking discussion on a wide range of topics, including artificial intelligence, space exploration, and the future of humanity.
One of the most interesting aspects of the podcast is the way that Lex and Elon challenge each other's thinking. Lex is a trained scientist and engineer, and he brings a rigorous and analytical approach to the conversation. Elon, on the other hand, is a visionary entrepreneur with a bold and optimistic view of the future. This combination of perspectives makes for a lively and engaging discussion.
One of the key themes of the podcast is the potential of artificial intelligence to both help and harm humanity. Lex and Elon discuss the potential for AI to solve some of the world's most pressing problems, such as climate change and poverty. However, they also acknowledge the risks of AI, such as the potential for job displacement and even existential threats.
Another key theme of the podcast is the future of space exploration. Lex and Elon discuss the potential for humans to colonize Mars and other planets. They also discuss the importance of space exploration for scientific research and technological development.
Overall, the podcast is a thought-provoking and insightful discussion on some of the most important issues facing humanity today. Lex and Elon are both brilliant and articulate thinkers, and their conversation is a valuable contribution to the public discourse.
Here are some of my personal insights on Lex and Elon's thought processes about humanity:
Lex is a strong advocate for evidence-based thinking. He is always looking for data and analysis to support his claims. This makes him a valuable voice in the world of artificial intelligence, where there is often a lot of hype and speculation.
Elon is a visionary thinker. He is not afraid to dream big and think outside the box. This has made him a successful entrepreneur, but it has also led him to make some controversial statements.
I believe that Lex and Elon complement each other well. Lex provides the data and analysis, while Elon provides the vision and inspiration. Together, they are a powerful force for good in the world.
I believe that the podcast between Lex and Elon is an important contribution to the public discourse. It is a thoughtful and insightful discussion some of the most important issues facing humanity today. I highly recommend listening to it.

Lex: [esoteric question about literal rocket science]
Elon: [in-depth answer, exploring multiple tangents]
Lex: what is love?
Elon: now you're asking really perplexing questions

With most other interviewers I feel that I've heard it all and I'm just listening to Elon say things he's said a 1000 times. Not with Lex. His questions really allowed Elon to go deeper and share his thoughts in ways that we would never hear from 99% of other interviews. Thank-you Lex. What a beautiful way to spend the first few hours after midnight on new years day (for me).

Lex is a beast, so is elon-i think we should all be thankful that they are trying to help humanity and make the world a better place

Just love it! So so many good insights, deep and true quotes for life & mindset and a lot of good and interesting perspectives for the future. Thank you Lex for this podcast and your well chosen questions 🙂greetings and cheers from germany!

I loved how Lex let the interview breathe. The moments of silence (where I had to check to see if the video was buffering or stopped) actually added gravitas to the question and subsequent thoughtful response. It was like Elon was playing out all of the probabilities of his responses before answering. Amazing to watch (and listen!) Way better than the WSJ interview… Keep up the great work!

Holy shit, imagine getting 2 and half hours of one of the busiest man on the planet for your podcast, man. Respect, you totally deserve it!

Me checking my internet connection every time that Elon makes a 1 min silent pause to organize his ideas 😅, excellent interview.

What an absolutely amazing interview. 👏

I remember when they had their first interview. Elon was quite cold, but professional. 3rd time around, both enjoying each other's company. Great to see.

I like how Elon Musk is way more comfortable in this one than the previous ones

Quite possibly the best interview ever done.

Excellent interview as usual Lex...

Elon is in a great mood in this. Love to see him this way.

10-15 years ago, you wouldn’t even have dreamed one of the most powerful, richest, smartest, most influential people could have a simple conversation in front of your screen like this and drop so much valuable information.

I give Elon credit. I do like that he can quote out of pocket things you'd never expect.
I enjoy having knowledge someone else doesn't have, and being able to give information on the spot people didn't think I'd know.
It must be a good feeling for Elon given he knows quite a lot. He knows a lot more than me that's for sure, but I'll steadily learn and even if I never go as far in life as he did. I can still learn, and share.

Awesome show and keep up the good work and I will be there to watch the videos you drop .

Loved this interview. I was struck by Elon's advice for life, "Try and be useful." He went on to say that being useful was incredibly difficult. I believe being useful can be simply a state of mind. My daughter manages an AM/PM selling junk food and gasoline. But she is so important for so many people just going through their day. To some many people, filling their tank on the way to work and grabbing a quick cup of coffee and some donuts is such a vital part of their day. My daughter keeps a very clean well stocked store and she is polite and cheerful to everyone she meets. She actually attracts repeat customers. How do I know? Customers have told her so. She is, in short, useful. We all have purpose if we look for it

I recognize and appreciate how comfortable Elon is on here. Doing Gods work Lex

Inspiring to listen to someone that is on the same page, way ahead of me, and has actual power and influence to help improve the world for everyone.
(I mean Lex Fridman of course. Elon is mildy interesting too.)

I’m glad you gave Tim Dodd (Everyday Astronaut). A mention. Since he spent a lot of time on the Rocket Engine show s he did. They are a terrific combination of shows on Rocket Engines. I recommend them to all with an interest in Rocket Engines. Great show to the two of you. Entertaining.

Love how relaxed and goofy Elon is with Lex, he must feel comfortable with our Lexbot 3000

"Quitting is not in my nature, fuck that we're getting it done" wow, words to live by

Hey everyone, Hey Lex. Thanks for all you do buddy.
It’s June 16th, 2023 when I’m writing this. I didn’t watch this video just now, I watched it probably when it first came out. But I was watching the video of Elon on a stage in Paris just now. I just didn’t know how to pass a message through the universe to Elon.
I love you man. Thanks for all you’re doing. I get your jokes 😁 even if the Paris crowd doesn’t. That was hilarious! It was even funnier ‘cause no one was laughing while you were. I was laughing bro. 😆 I just cracked up at that Meth joke for about 5 minutes, shaking my dog sitting beside me on the couch, saying “that’s our guy!”
I respect you so much and I think of your inspiration like an older brother inspiring me. I respect the search and connection to truth. That’s important to me too. I hope you have an awesome group of friends around you and I hope you stay the course. Thank you so much bro. Love you man. I’m cheering for you. I’m proud of you. All the best.
-Lane

love the pause

He seems to open up to you a lot more. Probably because you give him time to think a question through before answering and you don't ask typical stupid questions. Great job man.

I’m 30 seconds in and I can already tell this is gonna be fun

If all humanity came together on 1 mission. That would be the full potential of our planet.❤

I recognized how Elon takes a long, thoughtful pause before answering some questions. He understands that his wording could immediately affect his shareholders adversely depending on how interpreted. Accuracy, intent and context are very important.

Lex has been going insane with the guest he’s brought on recently.

I had no idea Lex Fridman was an instructor at MIT teaching machine learning for self driving. He was incredibly disciplined in asking interesting questions but avoiding PhD level discussion

I’m 23 years old and I feel beyond any kind of definition regarding luckiness to have someone as genuinely fascinating as Elon Musk be a part of my generation. His kind of genius is rare and will be remembered forever, well beyond mine or my child’s lifetimes and to simply know that is something I think is often overlooked.
What a wonderful interview, well done Lex.

Thank you for an informative interview. Good job to you both.

I love Elon's quotes "Put in a hard day's work and try to be useful to humankind ... create more than you consume ..." and "learn a little about a lot of things ... read about a broad range of topics" as advice for our next generation!!!

My vote for "The podcast of the 2021". Such a nice surprise for the holidays. Great timing, great topics and questions. Thank you, Lex! You are getting better and better, man! Oss!

Have not yet listened to this conversation, but had this instance of your conversations up to listen to and am exploiting this to make a general comment about your interviews. While your guests have all been able to share a life experience of some relevance, some come across to myself as much more in a place of full self-actualization and intellectual rigor of expression than others. I am curious as to what you do to prepare yourself for these conversations. As you are well aware., you do manage to hold up your end of the conversation. I am unsure on your own perspective much of the time, and that should be taken as a significant compliment. Regards,

KRplus cant stop recommending this same episode

Let's just take a moment to appreciate the wonderful life of opportunities we live today.
I am sitting near the chimney in a 500 people village in center-south Italy. If the Internet didn't exist the only thing I could have done was probably to be a farmer and sell harvests on local markets, speaking italian dialect with no clue about how the world works.
Now I do speak and understand English. I am a computer Scientist and software engineer. I studied physics and I am aware that the life we live today is not magic. The way we control information and excite electromagnetic fields and build on top of that protocols and abstractions and digital circuits and compilers and operating systems and browsers and media and content it just a marvellous engineering effort by the most awesome species ever existed in the universe as far as I know.
I am so grateful for being born in the 21st century and have the possibility to learn so much from some of the smartest and thoughtful people in the world.
Thanks Elon, thanks Lex.

The difference in how he handles these interviews is a completely different level than his first one on JRE. Glad to see the growth.

It is really fun watching this interview with Elon Musk. Love to see another one with Elon Musk. Earth is very lucky to have such a person like Elon Musk to propel human to a multi-planet species. Excellent interview.

This man's time is the most arguably the most valuable / minute of anyone living .. & he is choosing to sacrifice his life in hope of improving future of humanity.
Truly an unbelievable human ❤❤

I like that Elon has no qualms about being silent and deeply thinking through Lex's questions. This also shows Lex's skill in finding questions that even Elon has not previously considered. Keep up the good work Lex! You should drink with Elon next time!

I'm still waiting for Elon to conquer the universe so he can focus on less important things, like his own line of colognes called Elon's Musk.

Great job Lex excellent interview

As someone with a little brother that has Asperger's, Elon's ability to socialize and adapt to conversation is nothing short of extraordinary.

Having someone like Lex interview Elon is amazing, 2 people that can actually communicate at a "similar" level. Try getting mass media to even listen to a sentence of this and their heads will explode. Excellent interview.

Getting Musk to be in the same place for nearly 3 hours is an incredible feat. Keeping engaged with him for that same amount of time is beyond impressive.

Another great episode Lex!

Lex is in the same league as an interviewer as Elon is as a Technologist.
Every word has value.
Best interviewer of Elon in my opinion yet

I just love the Musk pauses, less nonsense would be spoken if more of us practised this trait.

Elon mentionning the fuel problems the German had during WW2 reminded me that the Nazis putting their hands on all the fuel they could find in occupy France was one of the reason for french engineer Louis Breguet to create an electric car back in 1941. My grand father had one, I remember seeing it as a kid. I think a few hundred models only were produced. It could go around 50km/hour and travel 100km distance on a charge, and I think it took 24 hours to recharge the battery... no Tesla super charger back then. LOL

This was the best discussion/interview i have see with, Elon. Very informative and motivating. Thanks for sharing it .

How does this guy recording interviews in his room get Elon Musk to come THREE TIMES to his show?!?

A short summary:
- Finishing high stress situations sucessfully you feel more relief than elation
- Most difficult problem regarding starship is engine production, right from the materials to design you have to have the best of everything to make the best engine
- Mindset of Elon: When something is important enough, you have to get it done. there’s no factor of motivation or anything in order to work on something
- Thinking in terms of first principles can be applied to any walk of life, just have an axiomatic base that you believe in and then you reason up from there to cross check your conclusion with the axiomatic truth.
- Another mental model of thinking is to take a thing and scale it to a very large or a very small number and see how do things change ( you can use it to scale a product large and see if its still expensive by which you can arrive at an conclusion to work on the design of the product or not)
- it's important to think of these things like probabilities, not certainties, there's a probability that something bad will happen on earth. Hence, its best that we work towards making life a multi planetary species
- Probably in mars, direct democracy over representational democracy works best!
- Helpful to think money in terms of information theory, with fiat currency the error in the database keeps increasing as government tries to print more money, cryptocurrency is an attempt to reduce this error created by the government.
- Bitcoin is useful as a store of wealth but not as a day to day currency. Dogecoin could be used as a day to day currency as a fixed number of hash string gets generated every year and inflation reduces over time.
- It is possible that satoshi nakamoto is Nick Szabo
- Replacing processed images by raw photon inputs from camera and switching more traditional code over the neural network (as it does seem have to hit its global maximum on vector space creation)
- Lot of bare-metal coding C/C++ is required for tesla self driving traditonally more on the control part after input has processed
- Human robots are a thing, might replace manual un-interesting work.
- History is a good way to learn and understand about the nature of civilization and indiviuals
- Advice to young people: Try to be useful, ask youself are you contributing more than you consume? To have a net positive contribution to the society would be the right thing to aim for.
- Reading a condensed version of the Britannica encyclopedia can be useful. Just read,read as much as you can.
- Having a growth of the pie mindset, over thinking in terms of zero-sum game is useful. Usually many people think in terms of zero sum game, but that is rarely the case as the pie gets bigger as more people get involved
- Whats the meaning of life? The answer is the universe, now its just a matter of asking the right questions. Elons foundation of philosophy is that he is curious about the nature of the universe. But we will not live forever, hence expanding the scope and scale of consciousness is fundamentally a good thing.

My husband and I are listening to this (long-awaited!) interview while driving across California for our vacation. Our 3.5 y.o old has fallen asleep, and we can enjoy the episode together! Such a great holiday treat!
Oh, and Elon’s pauses make us think whether sth is bad with our Internet connection, or he’s taking time to think. Apparently, the latter 😄 I wish I could learn how not to be afraid taking long pauses during the interviews and meetings😃

we need more people like Elon

1:25:22 my mind is way calmer. So glad i came across this. Timing is a bit Confucius!😮

"I dont care about optimism or pessimism.we're gonna get it done." Great quote

This upload feels like a late christmas present!

I love the long silent pauses before certain answers…that is a man who is actually using his brain to think!

Love Elons comment on impact- giving/contributing more than taking/consuming. ❤

I think I’ve seen the lion’s share of Elon interviews, and for the last couple of years it’s been sort of like watching an old movie again and again. 80% of the questions he’s been asked have been uninformed or at best old news.
This interview, on the other hand, is monumental in the storytelling of Elon; the questions are qualified, relevant, humble, challenging, respectful and full of love. You, dear Lex, are a giant! Thank you for this gem of a conversation 🙏🏻❤️

You can just tell how comfortable Elon is talking with Lex. Absolutely amazing podcast,very informative and thought provoking.

This was 2:31:47 of pure enjoyment. 23147 thanks to you and Elon for this mind blowing interview

28:00 I genuinely had to switch browser tab to check if the video froze 🙃

I love the long pauses from Elon. Definition of think before you speak.

It's interesting to see the differences in dialogue between Elon with Rogan & Elon with Lex. Both are great interviewers in their own right, but you can see that Lex is in a better position to understand the complexities of what Elon is breaking down from a technical standpoint. It's clear Elon really enjoys this interview- Lex speaks his language.

This is so interesting!

1:16:22 loved the inner child connection ❤

What’s nice about lex interviews compared to others with Elon is Lex ask real questions and dive deep. That’s why I appreciate this podcast.

Lex, one of the best things about your interviews with Elon is your ability to ask him the kinda questions that he normally doesn’t get asked in interviews. Because of your expertise in AI, engineering, robotics, you can really ask the kinda questions most interviewers aren’t able to and it gives Elon the chance to expand on these complex things publicly.

1:40:01 OMG, TIMING! I totaly thought this past night. Amazing to be 1 ahead for once (possibly more).