Musk claims that he can lead Tesla into an artificial intelligence giant.
On January 25th, Tesla released its fourth quarter financial report after hours on Wednesday. In the subsequent earnings conference call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to his request for Tesla's 25% voting rights.
Musk believes that Tesla is in the midst of a second wave of growth, and "Tesla is the most efficient company in the field of artificial intelligence reasoning. In terms of artificial intelligence reasoning, we still have a significant gap compared to other companies in the world."
On January 16th, Musk posted on X stating that he would rather build products outside of Tesla without 25% of the voting rights. He expressed unease about "developing Tesla into a leader in AI and robotics without 25% of the voting rights.". He also explained that 25% of the voting rights are "enough to exert influence, but not so much that he cannot be overthrown.".
This statement also became a focus of attention for analysts during the financial report conference call.
Musk responded that he saw a path for Tesla to become an artificial intelligence giant, but he was cautious about the radicals infiltrating Tesla's institutional shareholders.
Musk said, "I see a path towards creating truly powerful artificial intelligence and robotics giants, and I hope to have enough influence. It would be ideal if we could issue dual equity stocks. I'm not seeking additional economic benefits, I just want to become an effective butler."
Regarding the mass production issue of the humanoid robot Optimus. Musk said that Tesla's experience in vehicles is actually very useful because the company's cars are already robots. He also pointed out that Optimus Prime has the potential to far exceed the total value of Tesla's other products.
Musk mentioned that some Optimus Prime engines are likely to be delivered at some point next year. However, considering Tesla's usual delayed delivery history of products, it may take longer for ordinary consumers to purchase Optimus Prime than Musk had anticipated.
Musk, who has always emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence security, also emphasized that Tesla is ensuring the safety of Optimus Prime, especially during large-scale deliveries.
As for the preliminary results and investment returns of Tesla's advertising, Tesla executives responded during a conference call that the company is currently adopting a strategy focused on automotive safety, functionality, and technology. So far, these digital advertisements seem to be working as they are reaching out to people who are not very familiar with electric cars.
Executives have stated that Tesla will continue to explore digital marketing activities, but they also do not want to overspend on digital marketing activities. Nevertheless, Musk pointed out that Tesla definitely needs to raise consumer awareness, especially in regions such as Japan.