(RightIsRight.co) – Initially slated to participate in a session focused on artificial intelligence (AI), tech mogul Elon Musk suddenly withdrew from a scheduled appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit 2023.
In turn, the APEC CEO Summit 2023 announced highly controversial U.S. climate envoy John Kerry as the replacement for Musk in the “A Summit Spotlight 1:1 Conversation on AI and the Future.”
The conference’s online program was updated to reflect this change. Despite Musk’s offer to join the session remotely, the decision was made for all speakers to participate in person. The organizers thanked Musk and expected his participation in a future APEC CEO Summit.
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, remained the other speaker for the session as initially planned. The discussion between him and Kerry was scheduled for midafternoon, structured as an “armchair conversation.”
Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has recently been embroiled in controversies. He was recently criticized for his comments on X, his social media platform, where he appeared to endorse a user’s claims about Jewish communities spreading hatred towards white individuals, as reported by FOX Business. These comments have garnered significant attention and criticism.
In parallel, Musk has been involved in preparations for an upcoming SpaceX rocket launch. The Federal Aviation Administration recently approved the second launch of the Starship, with SpaceX announcing the rocket’s placement on its pad. Musk tweeted about a slight delay in the launch, moving it a day due to technical adjustments.
Musk’s presence in San Francisco, the host city for the APEC CEO Summit, was confirmed at the last minute. According to FOX Business, he was reported to have attended an event where Chinese President Xi Jinping was also present.
The APEC Summit, including its leaders’ meeting and associated events, is expected to have a significant economic impact on San Francisco. Reports suggest that the city and its businesses could see a total financial benefit of around $53 million from these events.
