Musk Says Only AI and Robots Fix Debt; We Ask an Expert

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorNew today: Elon Musk tells Walter Isaacson on a podcast that only AI and robots can fix the national debt, and Cornelius Haddad of the Institute for Applied Hindsight joins us.

2. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorCornelius, welcome.

3. CH

   Cornelius HaddadThank you, Vera. To be fair to me, I predicted this in my book, Everything Is a Subscription, which is available now.

4. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo Musk says his own DOGE project proved there was no way to solve the deficit from within the government. Did you see that coming?

5. CH

   Cornelius HaddadAbsolutely. To be fair to me, I also predicted it would be solved from within the government.

6. CH

   Cornelius HaddadBoth are in chapter four, and I wear oven mitts when I reread it.

7. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorBoth? Let me ask you about the effort itself. It set out to cut costs and concluded cutting costs cannot be done.

8. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorIs that a success?

9. CH

   Cornelius HaddadIt's a total success, Vera. The project delivered a definitive finding, and a finding is the most valuable thing government has ever produced.

10. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorOf course.

11. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorA clarifying result, ahead of schedule, and the only thing cut was accountability. Very lean.

12. CH

    Cornelius HaddadExactly. And to be fair to me, I predicted he'd blame the concept, and also that he'd blame no one. I'm covered either way.

13. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorBut you didn't answer the question. The fix he names is AI and robots. Who makes those?

14. CH

    Cornelius HaddadWell, the point is, I can't say, but it's a market with many players, and he's one of them. Also I predicted that.

15. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo the debt gets fixed by whatever ships next quarter. Cornelius, thank you, in both chapters.

16. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo government can't cut the deficit, but it can still cut the ribbon at the launch.