The dialog gives probably the most element but about Musk’s plans to alter the social media firm.

On Thursday morning, Elon Musk addressed Twitter workers for the primary time in a Q&A session about how he’ll run the social media firm. The assembly comes after weeks of uncertainty about whether or not the deal is going on in any respect.

Within the assembly, Musk answered difficult questions submitted from workers, together with how he’ll deal with contentious speech on the platform, whether or not he plans layoffs, and if he’ll enable workers to proceed to work remotely.

Whereas Musk offered few particulars that might assuage these at Twitter who worry Musk’s self-labeled free speech ideology and administration fashion — it was one of the vital substantial conversations Musk has had but about how he really plans to alter the corporate.

The next is a rush transcript of Twitter’s inner assembly on June 16, 2022. This transcript has been edited for size and readability.

The assembly began with a short introduction from Parag Agrawal, Twitter’s present CEO. Twitter’s chief advertising officer, Leslie Berland, requested Musk questions submitted upfront by Twitter workers.

Parag Agrawal

So that you’re going to listen to from you reside and direct. And all of us admire you becoming a member of us at present.

Elon Musk

Completely, Parag. Thanks for having me. Glad to have the ability to converse to everybody. And since we began late, I’m going to go proper forward, hand it over to Leslie in order that she will reasonable this Q&A session for us.

Leslie Berland

Wonderful. Thanks, Parag. Hello, Elon. Now we have loads to cowl — a ton to cowl. So I’m going to ask you a query that often will get requested on the finish, which is: Will you come again for a component two in some unspecified time in the future if there are issues that we don’t cowl?

Elon Musk

Oh, yeah, completely. I’m completely happy to try this.

Leslie Berland

Okay, nice. … So I actually do see this as the start of a dialog, clearly, with the corporate at massive, after which additionally with groups and leaders over the following coming weeks and months and past. So we’re simply getting began. Okay, so I’m going to zoom all the best way out to the explanation that we’re really right here collectively at present. And that’s since you love Twitter.

Elon Musk

I do love Twitter, yeah. So I need to be clear about that. I like Twitter. In actual fact, I actually have tweeted “I like Twitter,”

Leslie Berland

You could have. So inform us, say extra. Why do you’re keen on Twitter? And likewise, why did you and do you need to purchase Twitter?

Elon Musk

Nicely, let’s see. I discover, like, I be taught loads from what I learn on Twitter, and what I see within the footage, movies, textual content, and memes that folks create. I additionally discover it’s an effective way to get a message out over the telephone, once I need to say one thing and make an announcement, I believe Twitter’s one of the best ways to try this. It simply goes out instantly to everybody. And you already know, I type of made this joke already, however you already know, some folks use their hair to precise themselves, I exploit Twitter. So you already know, I discover it’s the perfect discussion board for speaking with lots of people concurrently.

And getting that message on to folks prior to now, you’d must … to ensure that anyone to examine one thing, it’s important to situation a press launch, and you then’d hope that the common media would write concerning the press launch. After which they wouldn’t write about it in fairly the best way you’d like to write down about it. I at all times discover these like, the old-style press releases form of, actually fairly unusual since you’re writing a press launch about your self, which is type of one thing that the media — it’s like, it’s overly flattering, it’s like vaguely type of, you already know, propagandist — successfully — fairly propagandist, after which hope that the media writes one thing favorable, which they often don’t.

And, you already know, I believe that that really is possibly one of many largest causes for utilizing Twitter is so I talk on to folks and never by means of the lens of the media. And, you already know, I believe there’s clearly an necessary position for the media to play. However as anybody is aware of who reads the newspaper, it’s coming by means of fairly a unfavorable lens. So it’s important to say, what number of newspaper articles do you learn which can be optimistic? And what number of information articles do you learn which can be unfavorable? What share are optimistic, what share are unfavorable? After which if you examine — it’s clearly overwhelmingly unfavorable. After which if you examine one thing — newspaper is a dated time period, within the information — the place you really personally perceive the scenario, what number of occasions has the media gotten it proper? I’d say nearly by no means. Not by no means, however nearly by no means.

So this can be a method for folks to speak instantly with one another and never by means of a unfavorable lens. And I believe that’s extraordinarily necessary for the world. So I’m type of going waxing on about this, however I believe it’s fairly necessary.

And you already know, a few of my feedback about Twitter being type of like a digital city sq. — however actually rather more than that, as a result of you possibly can’t put that many individuals in a city sq., however you have got the flexibility to speak with hundreds of thousands of individuals on Twitter. That’s simply an extremely necessary factor. And I believe it’s important for a functioning democracy to operate effectively.

I believe it’s important to have free speech and to have the ability to talk freely. Now you already know, the free speech stuff: It’s free speech throughout the context of the legislation. So I’m not speaking about suggesting that we simply flout the legislation, as a result of we’ll simply get shut down in that case.

And I believe additionally, there’s freedom of speech or freedom of attain. And freedom of speech is one factor, as a result of, like, anybody may simply go into the center of Occasions Sq. proper now and say something they need, they might simply stroll into the center of Occasions Sq. and deny the Holocaust, okay? You may’t cease them, they may simply try this. However that doesn’t imply that must be promoted to hundreds of thousands of individuals.

So I believe folks needs to be allowed to say fairly outrageous issues which can be throughout the bounds of the legislation, however then that doesn’t get amplified, it doesn’t get, you already know, a ton of attain.

And I believe an necessary purpose for Twitter, actually, is to attempt to embody as a lot of the nation, as a lot of the world, as potential. So at the moment, you already know, it’s a comparatively small share of the world that’s — it’s a small share of the world that’s on Twitter — say, like every day energetic customers, if you happen to presume that that’s, say, 200 million, you’ve acquired eight billion folks on Earth, that 7.eight billion who will not be on Twitter. In order that’s a fairly large quantity.

And actually, I believe you need as a lot of the world as potential on Twitter, you need to be as inclusive as potential, the broadest demographic, and for that to occur, folks should like being on Twitter.

So in the event that they’re being harassed or in the event that they’re uncomfortable, they’re simply not gonna use Twitter. Now we have to strike this steadiness of permitting folks to say what they need to say but additionally make folks snug on Twitter, or they merely gained’t use it. It is going to be type of fairly area of interest.

However I believe there’s additionally loads that needs to be completed when it comes to enhancing the core know-how and working of Twitter. Like proper now, if anyone does, say, a video, like a content material creator does a video, then they will put that video on YouTube and simply put a hyperlink to it from Twitter as a result of they’re capable of monetize their content material on YouTube, however not on Twitter. And I believe it’s gonna be actually necessary so that you can need to put the content material on Twitter, which we do, then there must be a mechanism for content material creators to monetize that content material.

And they also may twin publish they usually can publish it to YouTube and to Twitter. Nevertheless it’s, I believe it’s loopy proper now that content material creators will use Twitter to drive visitors to their YouTube video as a result of that’s how they make a dwelling. And that basically needs to be on Twitter.

We need to principally deal with the explanations that folks like — why aren’t extra folks utilizing Twitter? And why do folks click on away from Twitter? And if we will deal with these causes, then then they may use Twitter extra, they usually’ll get larger worth from the service. And, you already know, if I consider, like, WeChat in China, which is definitely an amazing, nice app, however there’s no WeChat motion exterior of China. And I believe that there’s an actual alternative to create that. You principally stay on WeChat in China as a result of it’s so helpful and so useful to your every day life. And I believe if we may obtain that, and even near that with Twitter, it will be an immense success. Hopefully, that’s — I actually went on there. And I’m completely happy to elaborate on any of these factors.

Leslie Berland

Yeah, no, it’s nice. And we’re gonna get a little bit bit deeper on free speech and coverage a little bit bit later. So I do need to come again to this really. However when it comes to you, you clearly have a variety of ideas round type of the issues with Twitter, the issues that aren’t working effectively, and the obstacles to what’s potential. How do you see your shopping for the corporate? Did that type of feed your want to purchase the corporate or how do you see this stuff come collectively? And what’s your thought course of round that?

Elon Musk

Nicely, there’s positively an ongoing problem with Twitter with bot accounts and spam accounts. There’s numerous crypto scams on Twitter. It’s gotten higher, however there’s nonetheless a good bit of that. There are additionally folks the place they’re not essentially bots, however they is likely to be working. You realize, one particular person’s working a whole lot of accounts and making an attempt to make them appear like people, however they’re not.

So you already know, I believe a variety of stuff is form of reiterating stuff that I stated publicly —actually, on Twitter — however to ensure that folks to have belief in Twitter, I believe it’s extraordinarily necessary that there be transparency. In order that’s why I’m an advocate of getting the algorithm be open supply so that folks can critique it, enhance it, determine bugs, doubtlessly, or bias. However when it’s clear, transparency clearly will increase belief. So I believe it’s simply essential, like, something that’s occurring on an automatic foundation be open supply and be clear, and that if there may be any motion taken by somebody inside Twitter to spice up, or de-boost, or one thing with a tweet that it’s simply very clearly recognized on the tweet, so folks aren’t ascribing malice the place there’s no malice.

However when it’s inscrutable, then folks don’t know what to assume. And they’ll generally assume the worst when that’s really not true. So I believe that belief is extraordinarily necessary. After which simply the usefulness of the system, eliminating type of troll farms and bots and spam is extremely necessary.

I’ve a thought on this regard, which I believe may work, which is to — as a result of this sort of leads us to Twitter Blue — however if in case you have Twitter Blue, your identification within the system doesn’t change in any respect, you continue to have a traditional consumer ID. However I believe if there was like a little bit Twitter Blue authenticated, not like authenticated like a star, however authenticated at the very least by Twitter Blue funds, piggybacking on the cost system on account of authentication, that I believe lots of people could be like, “Okay, that’s fairly useful to have some designation that displays my identify, that signifies I’m most likely not a bot, or spam, or one one who’s working 100 accounts.” And that’s like three bucks a month, I consider, I believe that might be fairly useful.

After which, additionally prioritizing feedback and mentions and whatnot, by who’s verified on this broader sense of the phrase of “verification.” Within the sense of you’re Twitter Blue verified, and simply prioritize that above somebody who’s not not verified. There’ll nonetheless be full learn entry to the system, nonetheless be full write entry to the system. However primarily any tweets or our actions shall be prioritized in keeping with who’s verified. After which a really massive variety of folks will be verified.

Leslie Berland

I’m gonna have a few follow-up questions on this, particularly, however given [that] you talked about belief, I needed to ask one of many worker questions round belief. They stated, “Twitter has a variety of unbelievable, sensible, proficient folks. What can we do to earn your belief? And what are you going to do to earn ours?”

Elon Musk

I believe belief is as belief does. So, I are usually extraordinarily literal in what I say. So, aspirationally, one doesn’t have to learn between the traces, one can merely learn the traces. So the issues that I’ve stated about Twitter, I believe, have to occur to ensure that it … to actually go to the following stage. I believe the potential is there for Twitter to be accessible to an order of magnitude extra folks, and for lots extra folks to search out it helpful.

At present, I suppose it will be a cutback, for four p.c of the world or one thing like that. 4 or 5 p.c of the world, optimistically, is discovering Twitter helpful, and possibly 50 p.c of the world may discover Twitter helpful. So I need to take no matter actions would result in that. I’m very very similar to […] I wouldn’t say it’s essentially a belief factor. It’s like, if anyone is getting helpful issues completed, then that’s nice. But when they’re not getting helpful issues completed, then I’m like, okay, why are they on the firm? So it’s actually simply, we have to enhance the core know-how, enhance the design.

Leslie Berland

Belief emerges from that.

Elon Musk

Yeah. … If anyone’s getting stuff completed, nice, I like them. And in the event that they’re not, I don’t like that and I don’t love them. It’s fairly easy.

Leslie Berland

I’d love to remain on this matter of workers and the way we work. So distributed work is one thing that has been core to our technique. Most of our folks work in a hybrid mannequin. About 1,500 folks work distant full time. We all know that you simply’ve not too long ago despatched a communication to Tesla executives about distant work. Are you able to share what your standpoint is on distant work, and particularly for Twitter?

Elon Musk

Now Tesla makes automobiles and you can’t make automobiles remotely, clearly. You need to make automobiles in an enormous manufacturing unit, and the availability chain, and it’s important to convey within the components, and assemble them, after which transport the automotive to the proprietor. All of this stuff have to be completed in particular person as a result of it’s bodily unimaginable to do them remotely. There are some roles at Tesla the place the work will be completed remotely, like, say, software program or design. … I believe that’s nonetheless a case the place you need to aspire to do issues in particular person, but when anyone is outstanding at their job, then it’s potential for them to be efficient, even working remotely.

So with Tesla, I’ve merely requested for an inventory — that the supervisor has to verify — that they’re a wonderful contributor, and in the event that they do, they’re allowed to work remotely. So it’s fairly primary, I believe. There’s a hit one takes, remotely, as a result of it does scale back esprit de corps and … it form of issues to be in particular person, at the very least a number of the time. So one of many issues I’ve stated, even when anyone’s working remotely, they gotta present up on the workplace sometimes in order that they acknowledge their colleagues and don’t stroll down the road and move your colleagues and also you don’t acknowledge them. That will not be good.

Leslie Berland

Nicely I believe that is tremendous clarifying, and resonates with us completely when it comes to how we work, so thanks for clarifying that matter. It’s actually necessary to us. I want to carry on the subject of workers and a number of the questions which have come by means of. This one’s on compensation and advantages. Most individuals — particularly, clearly, right here — are used to working for a public firm. Are you able to discuss a little bit bit about the way you compensate of us at SpaceX as a personal firm, how does it work, and what method you propose to take at Twitter as a personal firm?

Elon Musk

Yeah. So SpaceX, I believe, operates in the perfect of each worlds, the place inventory and choices are issued to everybody. However we don’t have all of the challenges of being a publicly traded firm with a inventory that may be up and down from someday to the following — it may be fairly a distraction — and the place one is on the mercy of quick sellers and sophistication motion lawsuits. … It’s like being within the public stockade during which they simply throw tomatoes at you all day. SpaceX nonetheless permits liquidity, so each six months, there’s a liquidity occasion at SpaceX, and folks have the chance to promote their shares. And that’s labored very effectively for the whole thing of the corporate. So I believe one thing like that might make sense at Twitter. So it will nonetheless be inventory and choices and day-after-day, and it will simply be liquidity occasions twice a yr.

Leslie Berland

Thanks. We’re getting some real-time suggestions on the distant work questions, so I simply need to be sure that I comply with up.

Elon Musk

Positive.

Leslie Berland

Your method to distant work and distributed work. … What I’m listening to from you is that you’re supportive of distant and distributed work as it’s productive and significant. Folks present up when it’s necessary, and relying on their jobs. Is that an correct reflection?

Elon Musk

The bias there positively must be strongly towards working in particular person. But when anyone is outstanding, then distant work will be okay. However principally, if their work output is outstanding, then distant work is okay. There may be some communication impression that one takes when working remotely as a result of if you happen to’re with folks, they usually’re just some desks away, it’s very straightforward to speak in actual time, nevertheless it’s a lot more durable to try this if you happen to’re in numerous bodily places. So I do need to emphasize that the bias could be very a lot towards in-person work. It’s simply that it will clearly be insane if somebody is superb at what they do however can solely work remotely, to then fireplace them regardless that they’re doing wonderful work. … So I’m positively not in favor of issues which can be mad. I’m in favor of issues that construct the enterprise and make it higher.

Leslie Berland

Thanks. Query about layoffs. We obtained a number of questions from workers on this level. Clearly, they’ve learn concerning the latest layoffs at Tesla. Are you able to converse to the way you’re desirous about layoffs at Twitter?

Elon Musk

Nicely, I believe it will depend on, you already know, the corporate does have to be — to get — wholesome. So I imply, proper now, the prices exceed the income. In order that’s not an amazing scenario to be in. And so there must be some rationalization of headcount and bills to have income be larger than value. In any other case, Twitter is solely not viable or can’t develop. So, yeah, I believe it will simply be depending on you already know, like I stated, anybody who’s clearly a big contributor ought to don’t have anything to fret about. I don’t take actions that are disruptive to the well being of the corporate. So, you already know, yeah.

Leslie Berland

One query linked to that, as you’re clearly studying and gaining info as we get nearer to this deal being closed. What do you are feeling that you’ve got deep understanding and grasp of? And what are the areas that you simply really feel such as you need to dive rather more deeper on to know and be taught?

Elon Musk

Nicely, I definitely, I imply, I’ve a robust, an amazing understanding of the product as a result of I exploit Twitter day-after-day, virtually. And, you already know, I believe I’ve acquired a extremely good understanding of how Twitter works from a product standpoint. What I’ve much less understanding of is, you already know, like, this type of bot spam or multi-user account — principally, something that impacts the monetizable every day consumer quantity, that’s most likely my largest concern. As a result of that’s actually what drives promoting income, in addition to subscription income. And actually, Twitter’s income goes to be subscription, promoting — I believe funds could be an fascinating factor to do, as effectively. However all of these issues are solely related as a operate of what number of distinctive people are on the system. In order that’s my largest concern. And that’s what I’ve stated publicly as effectively, like I stated, I attempt to be as literal as potential, yeah.

Leslie Berland

And as we take into consideration, clearly, the product and the service and serving clients all all over the world, clearly, it’s important and existential for us to serve numerous communities. And all folks, as you stated earlier. So inclusion, range is clearly core and central to our work at Twitter, each our workers and the shoppers that we serve. You could have been vocal on quite a lot of completely different subjects and points that relate to inclusion and variety. Are you able to speak about each your views and in addition your dedication to creating a various and inclusive office and in addition a service the place everybody can really feel included and protected?

Elon Musk

Yeah, I imply, effectively, it’s, to be clear, when speaking about Twitter as an entire, there’s eight billion folks on the earth; I’m instructed there’s 200 million every day customers of Twitter. That’s a 7.eight billion-person hole. So I believe we actually need to have, I don’t know, at the very least a billion folks on Twitter, possibly extra, as many individuals as we will presumably get on Twitter. In order that, I believe, is probably the most inclusive definition of inclusiveness, identical to, all people. In order that’s necessary. You realize, from an organization standpoint, I consider in a type of strict meritocracy, so no matter, you already know, whoever’s doing nice work, nice, they get extra duty and authority. And that’s that.

Leslie Berland

And I do know you talked about in a few of our conversations about your I&D staff at Tesla; we now have an incredible I&D staff right here at Twitter as effectively. So proceed on the journey collectively.

I need to speak about content material moderation, return to numerous the issues that you simply stated earlier. So that is one I’ll take, I’ll take verbatim. So that you’ve spoken loads concerning the significance of free speech. Let’s begin with the US, the place we now have a robust custom round this. And also you touched on this earlier, a variety of what’s referred to as lawful however terrible speech is allowed right here in the USA, proper? Animal abuse footage, doxxing, movies of sexual violence, and so forth. So permitting such a content material, clearly, may trigger hurt, and make Twitter unusable for the broad viewers that you simply’re making an attempt to succeed in. What’s your method to such a content material that’s authorized however problematic because it pertains to folks really utilizing the service? How do you consider this stress?

Elon Musk

As I stated earlier, actually, I believe folks, we should always enable folks to say what they need, publish what they need, throughout the bounds of the legislation. However that’s completely different from them with the ability to attain individuals who don’t need to be reached with that content material. So if that content material is offensive to folks, they may, these folks will merely cease utilizing Twitter. So it’s necessary to make Twitter as enticing as potential. And actually, meaning not exhibiting folks content material that they might discover hateful or offensive, and even frankly content material they might discover boring is just not good. We don’t even need them to see boring content material.

We have been speaking about TikTok final night time. And TikTok clearly does an amazing job of creating positive you’re not bored. I imply, it’s identical to ADD, however like subsequent stage — however TikTok does an amazing job of creating you not bored. I imply, I do discover a number of the movies offensive, I believe, however they’re not boring. So the oldsters — how can we guarantee folks have content material that they discover entertaining and interesting and fascinating, such that they need to preserve utilizing Twitter and use it extra. In order that’s, yeah, that’s what’s important to the expansion of the service.

Leslie Berland

Certainly one of our workers requested about individuals who use Twitter having the fitting and the flexibility to filter out content material that they don’t need to see — I believe this will get to precisely what you’re pointing to.

Elon Musk

I imply, to be clear, the usual is rather more than not offending folks. The usual is, needs to be, that they’re very entertained and knowledgeable. Like, you could possibly not offend somebody, however you could possibly additionally bore them and present a bunch of content material that they don’t discover fascinating, after which they won’t use the service or they may use it much less. In order that’s why I used the instance of TikTok, the place they simply honed the algorithm to be as partaking as potential. And I believe we need to additionally hone it to be as partaking as potential, otherwise, I believe.

You realize, TikTok is fascinating, however, like, you need to be told about severe points as effectively. And I believe Twitter, when it comes to severe points, is usually a lot higher for informing folks about severe points. I do you assume it’s necessary that there be, you already know, if there are two sides to a difficulty, it’s necessary to characterize a number of opinions. However you already know, and simply be sure that we’re not type of driving narrative. Give folks a possibility to know the varied sides of points. Most points on the earth are complicated. They don’t boil right down to a easy, “that is 100 p.c good; that is 100 p.c unhealthy.” So I believe it will be — we’d have a extra knowledgeable public — if folks have been offered with a number of sides to a difficulty.

Leslie Berland

One level I simply need to return to, on the legislation and the way that impacts content material and moderation: As we expect globally all over the world, there are some nations which have legal guidelines that restrict speech, and generally really use these legal guidelines to silence disagreement with the federal government, and so forth. You have been speaking about completely different factors of view. So Twitter is traditionally centered on doing what we will do to allow folks in all places to have their voices. How do you consider that because it pertains to, once more, just like the native legal guidelines and what meaning?

Elon Musk

Nicely, I’m in favor of doing, of going, so far as the legislation will enable us. If the legislation will — if, say, Twitter workers would get arrested within the nation if we didn’t adhere to the legislation, then we clearly should adhere to the legislation or exit the nation or one thing. So I imply, as a lot as we will allow folks to have a voice and to talk their thoughts, I believe we need to try this.

Leslie Berland

And I do know we talked about this as effectively, final night time — concerning the groups doing this work and type of your want to attach with these groups and perceive the place we’ve been, the place we’re, the place we’re going. And I believe that might be often productive throughout the board, each methods. Can we discuss briefly about your political beliefs? How if in any respect do your political beliefs play into the management of the businesses that you simply at the moment run? How would it not have an effect on Twitter, if in any respect?

Elon Musk

Nicely, my political beliefs, I believe, are reasonable, at the very least as could be, you already know, as if you happen to stated, like, what’s the heart of the traditional distribution of political beliefs within the nation, I believe that’d be fairly near the middle. You realize, I’ve voted Democrat, each election till this latest one this week. After which I voted for Mayra Flores, who’s Republican. She’s Mexican American, and I believed a very good candidate and value voting for. However I, you already know, I’m in favor of reasonable politics. However I’m permitting individuals who have comparatively excessive views to precise these views throughout the bounds of the legislation. In order that’s, you already know, as I stated publicly, I believe if, let’s say, the far left 10 p.c and much proper 10 p.c have been equally upset on Twitter, then that might most likely be a very good final result.

Leslie Berland

I need to simply speak about our enterprise for a minute. You’ve spoken about incentives that the enterprise creates for companies like Twitter. What position does promoting play in the way forward for your marketing strategy for the corporate?

Elon Musk

I believe promoting is essential for Twitter. So within the case of, say, Tesla or SpaceX, there’s no want for promoting as a result of the demand exceeds our manufacturing. So I imply, promoting is basically a requirement generator, and also you sometimes need to get another message on the market. Nevertheless it’s basically a requirement generator.

So provided that, at Tesla, demand is way in extra of manufacturing, there’s no want for Tesla to promote. However, you already know, I’m not towards promoting. I’d most likely, I don’t know, need to discuss to the advertisers and say, like, “hey, let’s simply be sure that the advertisements are as entertaining as potential.” I believe they’re more practical in the event that they’re entertaining. Like, you need to not be strident or spammy in an advert. After which, after all, I don’t assume it’s good to permit promoting of any merchandise that are, you already know, unhealthy merchandise.

I used to be actually scammed. I purchased this factor off of a YouTube advert, and it doesn’t work. After which I Googled it and it’s like, oh, yeah, when you click on on the second web page of Google search outcomes, it’s like, yeah, this product completely doesn’t work. It’s trash. And I’m like, effectively, why the hell is YouTube permitting promoting of scammy merchandise? That’s completely not cool. So I believe in case your promoting is entertaining, fascinating, it’s one thing you may really need, and the product could be, you already know, fulfilling to the Twitter consumer, then I believe that’s nice promoting. So, yeah.

Leslie Berland

So we’re gonna go over. Is that okay? Superior. Thanks. Are you able to discuss a little bit bit about Twitter and funds? You talked about this a couple of occasions in numerous settings. I’d love to know your considering there.

Elon Musk

Yeah. Your cash is actually a type of info. It’s info that enables us to alternate services and products with out having to barter and permits folks to shift obligations in time. However cash is basically digital at this level, and has been for some time. And PayPal, you already know, I believe it’s completed an amazing job on the funds entrance. I believe it will make sense to combine funds into Twitter in order that it’s straightforward to ship cash backwards and forwards. And if in case you have foreign money in addition to crypto. Basically, every time anyone would discover it helpful.

So my purpose could be to maximise the usefulness of the service — the extra helpful it’s, the higher. And if one can use it to make handy funds, that’s a rise in usefulness. Information, leisure, and funds, I believe, are like three important areas. However actually, it’s nearly desirous about the right way to make this, the right way to make utilizing Twitter so compelling you can’t stay with out it and that everybody needs to make use of it.

Leslie Berland

I would like it to say on the product. Once more, you probably did contact upon this earlier, nevertheless it’s a recurring query across the authentication piece, you already know, when it comes to you’re saying you need to authenticate all people, so simply to type of double click on into that, you already know, balancing this with those that profit from anonymity, proper, from a security perspective, particularly, for instance, human rights activists and marginalized communities. Are you able to simply make clear, once more, converse to that stress? And the way you consider these phrases, particularly? Anonymity is type of core to how folks use the service.

Elon Musk

Yeah, I don’t assume it’s essential for somebody to make use of their actual identify. So if one, say, does a payments-based authentication, I believe it needs to be okay to not use your actual identify on Twitter. So Twitter would know who you might be, at the very least from a cost standpoint, however you wouldn’t must state your actual identify or something. That’s clearly necessary, the place if somebody has completely different political beliefs from their supervisor, let’s say, then they don’t actually need to, you already know, get crosswise there. And so it will be higher for them to have a pseudonym on Twitter, however it will nonetheless be backend authenticated.

And like, at no level would I recommend that it’s important to be authenticated to be able to use Twitter, it’s simply that it will be prioritizing authenticated feedback and actions on Twitter over unauthenticated to be able to fight the bots and trolls. And primarily, it must be rather more costly to have a troll military. Whereas proper now, it’s principally very cheap to have 100,000 pretend Twitter accounts.

Leslie Berland

You could have definitely been very vocal on Twitter. You might be very vocal on Twitter. And infrequently your tweets and even emojis create information cycles. You could have been additionally important of the corporate on Twitter, which clearly impacts numerous discussions, conversations, and perceptions from whether or not or not it’s companions and even now workers. How do you consider these tweets? Do you take a look at the response and take into consideration the response of those tweets? I’m simply curious concerning the considering behind the tweet, if you’ll.

Elon Musk

Nicely, I believe that it will be useful, you already know — one factor about phrases is that it’s onerous to convey tone. And so it’s potential for … Basically, folks will generally take the phrases after which assume they have been stated in possibly an offended method or a vindictive method or one thing like that. However, I imply, hopefully you possibly can inform my regular tone is just not … I’m not an offended particular person. I nearly by no means increase my voice. So like, in a yr, I won’t have raised my voice. So this isn’t a, you already know … Typically folks might imagine, “oh, wow, he’s type of yelling and screaming” or one thing, however I’m actually not. So possibly there’s some technique to point out tone? I imply, emoji sorta try this. However I don’t know, possibly they might have like, I don’t know, an irony flag or one thing: That is an ironic tweet. One thing like that.

Leslie Berland

Pay attention, I believe Areas is a good product for you as effectively. We even have voice tweets, which I don’t assume I’ve seen you utilize earlier than, however I believe that might add type of your literal voiceover and colour a number of the issues that you simply tweet …

Elon Musk

Oh positive. Yeah possibly I may simply say it. Or you could possibly learn it, however then you can too see how I’d have stated it. Like, I ponder if you happen to stated that in an offended method. After which you possibly can see how I really stated it.

Leslie Berland

Sure, completely, that’d be superb. I do know, we now have 10 extra minutes, up on the hour, so I’m holding you till then. Your position on the firm — there’s been some dialogue about will you be CEO, will you not be CEO? How will you converse to this? And the way do you anticipate your position influencing technique, day-to-day division?

Elon Musk

Nicely, I suppose I’m not hung up on titles, however I do need to drive the product in a selected path. So, you already know, it may very well be like … I don’t actually care about being CEO. In actual fact, I renamed myself “Techno King” at Tesla in an official SEC submitting. So …

Leslie Berland

Sure, we noticed.

Elon Musk

After which our CFO was renamed “Grasp of coin,” which I believe is a cooler factor than CFO. So, I imply, what I actually simply need do is, like, drive the product and enhance the product, after which it’s like, principally, software program and product design. So you already know, I don’t thoughts doing different issues, you already know, associated to working the corporate, however there are chores. There’s a variety of chores to do as CEO. And all I actually need is to be sure that the product evolves quickly and in a great way.

And I don’t actually care what the title is, however I do … Clearly, folks do have to take heed to me. If I say, like, “Hey, we have to enhance the product and discover methods and make the next adjustments, add these options.” Then, you already know, I do anticipate that folks take heed to me, on this regard. I imply, that’s how I do it at SpaceX and Tesla. So you already know, I’m actually simply working with engineering and manufacturing. And, like, it generally could appear that, wow, he’s actually on the market loads. However really, I’m not. If you happen to see what number of precise interviews I do, it’s fairly a small quantity. However every time I do a tweet, they’ll make a complete, like, two-page article about it, you already know. So, I’m like, like, principally get far fewer.

I’m really fairly internally centered at SpaceX and Tesla, regardless that it might not appear that method. And it’s actually simply, you already know, evolving the rocket know-how at SpaceX and offering international web with Starlink. After which at Tesla, it’s about accelerating sustainable vitality, you already know, electrical automobiles and stationary battery packs and solar energy. And the elemental good of Tesla, I’d say, is measured by what number of years speed up the arrival of sustainable vitality.

After which the ultimate purpose of SpaceX is, you already know, can we make life multiplanetary and thus enhance the possible lifespan of consciousness? Such as you’ve already stated, what’s the unifying philosophy for me? It’s, we should always take the set of actions almost certainly to increase the scope, scale, and lifespan of consciousness as we all know it. What kind of actions enhance issues at a civilizational stage and enhance the possible lifespan of civilization? Civilization will come to an finish in some unspecified time in the future, however let’s attempt to make it final so long as potential.

And it will be nice to know extra concerning the nature of the universe. Why we’re right here, which means of life, the place are issues going, the place we come from? Can we journey to different star methods and see if there are alien civilizations? There is likely to be an entire bunch of long-dead, one-planet civilizations on the market that existed 500 million years in the past. Take into consideration the span of human civilization from the arrival of the primary writing, it’s solely about 5,000 years.