Elon Musk replaced on APEC artificial intelligence session by John Kerry
Musk came under fire for showing support for a post on X that critics called antisemitic
WATCH: President Biden delivers formal remarks at APEC welcome reception
The U.S. is hosting the annual conference between Asia-Pacific and American leaders for the first time since 2011.
Elon Musk will not take part in one of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit’s Thursday sessions geared toward artificial intelligence (AI) anymore.
The APEC CEO Summit 2023 has swapped in U.S. climate envoy John Kerry as the one of the two speakers participating in "A Summit Spotlight 1:1 Conversation on AI and the Future," per the conference’s online program.
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"Elon Musk had a schedule change that prevented him from joining the APEC CEO Summit 2023," the APEC CEO Summit 2023 said. "We’re thankful for his offer to join the session remotely, however, it was agreed among all speakers that participating would be in person. We look forward to Elon joining us at a future APEC CEO Summit."
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris on June 16. (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters Photos)
The other leader expected to speak during the session has not changed. It will be Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff as originally scheduled, according to the conference.
The "armchair conversation" with him and Kerry will happen at 4:45 p.m. local time.
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry gestures as he speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 13, 2021. (REUTERS/Yves Herman / Reuters Photos)
Musk faced criticism Wednesday for saying an X social media platform user had "said the actual truth" after that person claimed Jewish communities have spread "hatred against whites," FOX Business reported Thursday morning. He also accused the Anti-Defamation League of "unjustly attack[ing] the majority of the West" because the group "cannot, by their own tenets, criticize the minority groups who are their primary threat."
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The tech billionaire made headlines the same day in connection to an upcoming SpaceX rocket launch. That operation, which is poised to happen Saturday, is coming after the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it had "given license authorization for the second launch" of Starship.
Elon Musk attends Heidi Klum's 2022 Hallowe'en Party at Sake No Hana at Moxy LES in New York City on Oct. 31, 2022. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images / Getty Images)
SpaceX had posted Thursday morning on X that it loaded the rocket onto its pad. Musk later tweeted the launch, originally planned for Friday, would get pushed back a day due to a need to "replace a grid fin actuator."
The SpaceX and Tesla CEO was in San Francisco, the city hosting the APEC CEO Summit, on Wednesday, having attended an event where Chinese President Xi Jinping was also present, FOX Business reported.
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APEC is also holding its leaders’ meeting.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSLA | TESLA INC. | 352.56 | +12.92 | +3.80% |
The events associated with APEC are expected to bring San Francisco and businesses located within the city a total of $53 million, according to reports.
Edward Lawrence, Nicole McManus and Chris Pandolpho contributed to this report.