Another podcast, another example of Elon Musk opening his mouth and stepping in it.
This time, as noted by Business Insider, it was a Musk appearance on Lex Fridman’s Artificial Intelligence podcast that’s resulted in some backlash for the Tesla and SpaceX chief.
At one point in the discussion, which you can watch here, Musk says of his Neuralink project: “So Neuralink I think, at first, will solve a lot of brain-related diseases. So, could be anything from, like, autism, schizophrenia, memory loss — like, everyone experiences memory loss at certain points in age. Parents can’t remember their kids’ names and that kind of thing.”
Oof.
It’s clear Musk meant well here as he’s talking about the possible ways in which Neuralink could positively impact the world. But the inclusion of autism as a “disease” that needs to be cured reveals a misguided view of what autism is and what causes it. So let’s take a look at what it actually means.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies autism as “a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.”
Meanwhile, autism advocacy organization Autism Speaks expands on that, saying, “Autism … refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.” It also notes that autism is a spectrum disorder “most influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.”
The UK’s National Autism Society is even more succinct, noting, “autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be ‘cured.'”
And the idea that autism can be cured is tacitly suggesting it should be cured, attaching a stigma to those diagnosed with the disorder. So for Musk to suggest it should be cured, is to suggest there is something wrong with people with autism.
Thomas W. Frazier II, PhD, chief science officer at Autism Speaks, told Mashable via email: “Every person’s experience with autism is entirely unique and just as there is no single ‘autism,’ there’s no ‘cure.’ We believe that each person with autism should have access to personalized resources, therapies and/or treatments that best meet their unique needs.”
This isn’t Musk’s first run-in with trouble from a podcast appearance. When he was on Joe Rogan’s podcast in the fall of 2018, he smoked weed which led to a bit of a PR mess that then prompted NASA to conduct a “workplace culture” review at SpaceX.
Musk is also currently embroiled in a lawsuit over calling a critic of his Thai soccer team rescue plan a “pedo guy,” something he’s since tried to brush off as a schoolyard insult with no real teeth behind it.
Clearly, Musk should stay off podcasts and Twitter for now, whether he’s stoned or not.
