RFK Jr. on AI and how Elon Musk 'saved freedom of speech'

By Jon Swartz

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks to MarketWatch about how AI is 'lying to people' - and what's causing his Harvard-educated son to have 'the attention span of a praying mantis'

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was ushered into a side room at a steakhouse in downtown Austin, Texas, surrounded by a phalanx of bodyguards and handlers Saturday night. The independent presidential candidate, a member of one of America's best-known political families, had just finished a speech and was about to host a party during the opening weekend of the South by Southwest festival.

Kennedy, who made remarks about vaccines that led to him being banned from social-media platforms Facebook and Instagram during the pandemic, shared his opinions on artificial intelligence, social media, censorship and tech regulation in an interview with MarketWatch.

"Elon Musk said AI will take our jobs, then kill us. There are frightening anecdotes of AI lying to people," Kennedy said. "The U.S. must develop responsible AI use, and as president I would convene [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, [Chinese President Xi Jinping], Ayatollah [Ali Khamenei of Iran] and Israel to establish guardrails."

The expansion of AI, which has mirrored the rise of social media and may have similar adverse affects on society, has prompted lawmakers to scurry to come up with legislative solutions. Kennedy is among those, including Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Josh Hawley of Missouri, who think large technology companies have censored viewpoints and spread disinformation.

Kennedy pointed to a lawsuit brought by the state of Missouri alleging that the federal government colluded with Facebook and Twitter to restrict freedom of speech. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case starting on March 18.

(Both the Biden and Trump administrations have sued Big Tech players such as Alphabet Inc.'s (GOOGL) (GOOG) Google and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) on antitrust grounds. Social-media companies are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which gives limited federal immunity to providers and users of interactive computer services.)

Kennedy praised Musk's stewardship of X, the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter. "He saved freedom of speech in this country," he said, adding that the two have intermittently communicated.

Kennedy also said he has been in frequent contact with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.

Dorsey, who reportedly reneged on a promise to donate $5 million to a super PAC backing Kennedy's presidential campaign, has said he supports Kennedy because he is "focused on peace" and "has a grasp of all of the issues he speaks to."

Kennedy has "no fear in exploring topics that are a little bit controversial," Dorsey said on the "Breaking Points" podcast last year. "I feel like our country needs his leadership."

In addition to Dorsey and Musk, Kennedy has received support from the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nicole Shanahan, who donated $4 million to the super PAC responsible for Kennedy's $7 million commercial during this year's Super Bowl.

Kennedy, who said "he'll go anywhere" for support, expressed a desire to build U.S. businesses. "I don't want to drive companies out of this country," he said.

Kennedy is hoping to take advantage of dissatisfaction among voters with the idea of a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

"Seventy percent of Americans would prefer not to vote for Trump or Biden," said Tony Lyons, a book publisher who leads the American Values 2024 super PAC, which has raised $30 million for Kennedy. "They want an honest candidate with integrity who works for them, not [for] gigantic corporations."

In an interview, Lyons called Kennedy's campaign "an insurgency ... that has Biden and Trump scared," adding, "Bobby has questioned an incredibly corrupt system" marred by foreign wars, chronic disease and a border crisis.

Kennedy has qualified for the ballot in Utah and is close to qualifying in six other states, including the key battleground states of Michigan, Georgia and Arizona. He has not yet announced a running mate, although New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura are reported to be under consideration for the role.

Kennedy, who announced in October that he was changing his party affiliation from Democrat to independent, is running a long-shot candidacy against Biden, who on Tuesday clinched the Democratic nomination, and Trump, who clinched the GOP nomination the same day. He faces a huge cash disadvantage against the two major-party candidates.

The Biden campaign and related entities had more than $130 million cash on hand at the end of January, and outside groups have pledged to spend more than $700 million on his behalf. Trump's two campaign committees had more than $36 million in cash on hand.

Read more: Biden and Trump clinch nominations, setting up election rematch

Although he has plenty of name recognition, Kennedy has also attracted media scrutiny and criticism over his views on vaccines. But that hasn't stopped him from flashing a sense of humor.

Speaking about the effects of TikTok, YouTube videos and similar communication platforms, he noted: "My son, a Harvard graduate, has the attention span of a praying mantis."

-Jon Swartz

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03-13-24 1425ET

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