Like if neural networks were the be-all and end-all of AI.

> Stacking a ton of data together to build predictive models that can produce intelligent-like outputs, is a far, far cry from a robot gaining consciousness or a sense of agency.

That's, I think, you putting words into his mouth. I don't recall Musk ever talking much about AI consciousness or agency.

The way I understand it, Elon sides with the Yudkowsky/Bostrom reasoning of intelligence being an ability to perform extremely strong, cross-domain optimization. Which is orthogonal to a) consciousness as we know it, and b) ethical values as we know it - and that is precisely why it's considered a threat.