Get All Access for $5/mo

Elon Musk: Human-Driven Cars Might Someday Be Banned The visionary entrepreneur later backpedaled on his bold claim about the future of transportation.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Tesla Motors

Elon Musk, a veritable Superman of Silicon Valley, says that there may come a time when cars driven by human beings are banned in favor of self-driven cars.

"In the distant future, [legislators] may outlaw driven cars because they're too dangerous," he said in an interview earlier this week at the 2015 GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, Calif.

Related: Elon Musk Wants to Colonize Mars in Order to Fend Off Human Extinction

Rather uncharacteristically, the visionary founder of Tesla Motors and SpaceX later softened the blow of his controversial statement by clarifying that he's not trying to take people out of the driver's seat.

While critical of artificial intelligence, Musk believes autonomous vehicles are the way of the future -- and he's helping to pave the way. In October, he said Tesla's latest electric Model S vehicle is equipped with "autopilot" hardware that will allow it to park itself in a garage, switch on the A/C before a trip and sense obstacles on the road.

Related: Elon Musk: Artificial Intelligence Is Humanity's 'Biggest Existential Threat'

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

He Started a Business That Surpassed $100 Million in Under 3 Years: 'Consistent Revenue Right Out of the Gate'

Ryan Close, founder and CEO of Bartesian, had run a few small businesses on the side — but none of them excited him as much as the idea for a home cocktail machine.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Franchise

The Top 10 Coffee Franchises in 2024

From a classic cup of joe to a creamy latte, grab your favorite mug and get ready to brew up success with the best coffee franchises.

Marketing

How Small Businesses Can Leverage Dark Social to Drive Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Dark social accounts for 70% of social media shares and is crucial for small businesses. Here's how you can tap into this hidden marketing opportunity.

Business News

'Jaw-Dropping Performance in 2024,' Says a Senior Analyst as Nvidia Reports Earnings

Nvidia reported its highly-anticipated third-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

Business News

'Do You Sell Cars?': Tesla CEO Elon Musk Trolls Jaguar Rebrand on X

The team running Jaguar's X account was working hard on social media this week.