Elon Musk: Humans should become cyborgs or risk being 'house cats'
Elon Musk in a recent talk at the Vox Media's Code Conference in Southern California, said due to technological advances in artificial intelligence (AI), he believes humans will need cyborg qualities to avoid becoming 'pets'. Musk is involved with the likes of Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking who fear the dangers of artificial intelligence, investing $1bn research fund on the concern. Musk went on further to say the 'house cat' scenario is a positive one compared to other consequences. He proposed, therefore, in order for humans to maintain relevance, that systems like 'the neural lace', a new electronic layer of the brain that increases cognitive powers through instant access to information, should be heavily invested in. He stated, "If we can create a high-bandwidth neural interface with your digital self, then you’re no longer a house cat,” confirming he, himself is working on the technology.

Elon Musk, Chairman of SolarCity and CEO of Tesla Motors, speaks at SolarCity's Inside Energy Summit in Manhattan, New York October 2, 2015. REUTERS/Rashid Umar Abbasi

Elon Musk thinks that humans are going to need to add a digital layer of intelligence to our brains to avoid becoming house cats to artificial intelligence.

Musk believes that as AI continues to advance, humans will be left behind, and that even in the most banal situation, we'll be treated like pets by artificial intelligence, as he explained on stage at Vox Media's Code Conference in Southern California.

Enter something called "neural lace," a technology concept that Musk finds "quite important" that he thinks companies need to be working on.

Neural lace is essentially a wireless brain-computer system.

"I don't love the idea of being a house cat, but what's the solution? I think one of the solutions that seems maybe the best is to add an AI layer," he said. "A third, digital layer that could work well and symbiotically" with the rest of your body.

Nanotechnologists have actually already been working on this concept.

Musk said that this wouldn't have to be something inserted by "chopping your skull off," but that the technology could be inserted through the jugular vein.

"If we can create a high-bandwidth neural interface with your digital self, then you’re no longer a house cat,” he said.

Would Musk consider working on this technology himself?

"Somebody’s gotta do it," he insisted.

Watch Musk's explanation here, starting around 58:00: