Elon Musk pitches lofty goals in a magazine run by China’s internet censorship agency

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images

According to a translation from a reporter for the Chinese state press agency, the article was published in a Chinese magazine run by the country's internet watchdog and censorship agency.

The Cyberspace Administration of China is in charge of creating and enforcing policies regarding online content, user data, and digital security. According to the China Media Project senior researcher, Stella Chen, regulatory announcements and research on internet policy are included in the magazine. China Cyberspace was originally called New Media before it was changed to it's current name.

In the July issue of China Cyberspace, there are articles from Musk and the CEO of the Chinese payment service Alipay. An English translation of Musk's article can be found on his Substack newsletter. Musk says he was invited by the magazine to share his "thoughts on the vision of technology and humanity" and then proceeded to describe and promote the technology used by the companies he owns that he believes can "help achieve a better future for humanity."

To that end, any area that contributes to a sustainable future is worthy of our investment. Whether it’s Tesla, Neuralink, or SpaceX, these companies were all founded with the ultimate goal of enhancing the future of human life and creating as much practical value for the world as possible — Tesla to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, Neuralink for medical rehabilitation, SpaceX for making interstellar connections possible.

Some of his loftier goals include a self-sustaining city on Mars, a way for humans to "integrate with artificial intelligence," and "fixed battery banks." Musk suggests that people might be able to buy a robot in less than a decade.

The article will allow Musk to showcase the technological prowess of his companies to Chinese officials and the public.

Musk hopes that more people will join the fight for sustainable energy. More like minded Chinese partners are welcome to join us in exploring clean energy, artificial intelligence, human-machine collaboration, and space exploration.

The very concept of free speech that inspired Musk to purchase Twitter is at odds with his advocacy for free speech. A number of policies have been put in place to restrict and censor online speech. Social platforms are required to take down content that contains prohibited information if they want to avoid punishment from the CAC.

Last year, the CAC demanded that Apple remove a Quran app from its Chinese App Store and that Didi be removed from app stores in China. A hotline for users to report "illegal" comments about the Chinese Communist Party was launched by the CAC.