SpaceX and Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk‘s vision for Mars as a political project was reportedly thwarted in 2024 due to concerns about AI and political interference, according to a conversation revealed by Peter Thiel.
What Happened: Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal PYPL, disclosed a conversation he had with Elon Musk in 2024 in an interview with The New York Times on Thursday.
Elon Musk reportedly told Thiel “There's nowhere to go” after the PayPal co-founder said he wanted to leave the U.S. if Donald Trump doesn’t become the President.
“It was about two hours after we had dinner and I was home that I thought of: “Wow, Elon, you don’t believe in going to Mars anymore,” Thiel said.
Thiel claimed that Demis Hassabis CEO of Google‘s GOOGL GOOG DeepMind, warned Musk that his AI could follow humans to Mars. This revelation reportedly led to Musk’s silence and a shift in his perspective on the Mars project.
According to Thiel, it took Musk until 2024 to fully process the implications of this conversation. He began to view Mars not just as a scientific endeavor, but as a political project that could be influenced by external factors like AI and government policies.
“2024 is the year where Elon stopped believing in Mars — not as a silly science tech project, but as a political project,” stated Thiel.
“And in 2024 Elon came to believe that if you went to Mars, the socialist U.S. government, the woke A.I. would follow you to Mars.”
SpaceX did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
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Why It Matters: Despite Theil’s claims, reports in May indicated that Musk’s SpaceX was intensifying efforts to prepare its experimental Starship rocket for a potential Mars mission in 2026.
Moreover, Musk has long been an advocate for Mars colonization, citing it as humanity’s “life insurance” policy. In a separate interview in May 2025, Musk warned that Earth only has 10% of its life left before it’s “incinerated” by the sun, making Mars colonization essential for humanity’s survival.
Despite his concerns about AI, Musk has also invested in several AI startups, including DeepMind, following a warning from Hassabis about the dangers of advanced AI to human civilization. This apparent contradiction in Musk’s actions and beliefs raises questions about the future of his Mars ambitions.
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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