An artificial intelligence (AI) advocacy group is calling on President-elect Trump to appoint billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk as a special adviser to the White House with a focus on AI. Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) launched the petition on Monday, highlighting Musk’s achievements in AI and his balanced approach to advancing the technology safely.
“As artificial intelligence races ahead, the U.S. should lead the world in advancing AI safely and securely,” the group stated in its petition. “No one is better equipped to help the Trump Administration make America lead on AI than Elon Musk.”
“Musk has made major contributions to the field of AI both as an entrepreneur and as a thought leader. While advancing AI, he has also advocated for AI safety and the need to mitigate existential and catastrophic risks,” ARI’s petition added.
The petition also mentioned Musk’s recent call for regulators to gain insights into AI developments at Big Tech firms, noting that while “proper mechanisms” should manage conflicts of interest, Musk’s expertise could greatly benefit the administration in overseeing this transformative technology.
Musk brings direct experience in the AI space through his role as CEO of Tesla and his AI-focused startup xAI, which he launched in 2023. He has also pursued legal actions against OpenAI, claiming the startup deviated from its original mission by adopting a for-profit model.
Additionally, Musk backed a California bill requiring AI developers who spend over $100 million on an AI model to implement safety testing and cybersecurity measures, along with giving the state attorney general authority to take civil action against developers causing “critical harm.” Although the bill passed in the California legislature, it was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who argued that smaller firms could create equally or more dangerous AI models than the bill’s targeted larger developers.
Musk has also encouraged President-elect Trump to create a Department of Government Efficiency to identify and eliminate wasteful federal spending, offering to contribute to the department’s efforts. He has advocated for this initiative for months, following his public endorsement of Trump’s campaign.
Trump previously said he would ask Musk to lead the government efficiency commission if he won the election. However, Musk’s extensive involvement in his various business ventures has raised investor concerns, which could be heightened if he takes on additional advisory roles at the White House.
Tesla investors, who challenged Musk’s $56 billion compensation package, argued that he was too preoccupied with other ventures to justify what is considered the highest CEO compensation at any publicly traded company. Although Tesla shareholders voted this summer to reinstate Musk’s pay package after a Delaware judge voided it in January due to inadequate disclosures about Musk’s personal ties with board members who approved it in 2018, the case remains unresolved.
