News tech Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman Recalls Larry Page’s Wild Space Exploration Prediction From 2015; Elon Musk Says ‘He Might Be Right’Powered by:
Last Updated:October 30, 2026, 16:16 IST
The story caught Elon Musk’s attention, with the billionaire agreeing that Page’s prediction could eventually become reality.
According to Suleyman, the DeepMind founders had made independent oversight a condition of the acquisition.
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman has revisited an unusual conversation he had with Google co-founder Larry Page nearly a decade ago, recalling how the technology billionaire imagined humans exploring distant galaxies using self-replicating robotic spacecraft by the end of the century.
The conversation reportedly took place over lunch at SpaceX’s headquarters in 2015, during an early meeting of DeepMind’s AI Ethics and Safety Board. Suleyman shared the anecdote during an appearance on the podcast The Builders with Walter Isaacson and Kaleidoscope.
The story caught Elon Musk’s attention, with the billionaire agreeing that Page’s prediction could eventually become reality.
Why Elon Musk was part of DeepMind’s AI ethics board
Suleyman recalled that Musk was selected as one of the independent members of DeepMind’s Ethics and Safety Board following Google’s acquisition of the artificial intelligence startup in 2014.
According to Suleyman, the DeepMind founders had made independent oversight a condition of the acquisition. The proposed arrangement brought together executives from Google and the startup’s founding team, alongside three jointly selected independent members.
Google’s representatives included Larry Page, Sergey Brin and then-chief legal officer David Drummond. DeepMind was represented by Suleyman, Demis Hassabis and Shane Legg.
The two groups jointly selected the independent members, with Musk among those chosen.
“Yeah, I remember in 2015 being in the canteen at SpaceX. And we had our first meeting of the Ethics and Safety Board. So when we sold DeepMind to Google, we made it a condition of our acquisition that we would have an Ethics and Safety Board with independent representation on the board,” Suleyman recalled.
He explained that the selection process required both sides to agree on the independent representatives.
“One of those independent members, because Google had to agree, which was obviously Larry, Sergey, and David Drummond at the time. And then me, Demis, and Shane had to jointly agree who those three independents would be. And so we jointly picked Elon as one of them,” he added.
Suleyman also wondered whether the discussions at SpaceX might have influenced Musk’s later decision to establish OpenAI, although he admitted that he had no way of knowing.
Larry Page’s ambitious vision for exploring other galaxies
Suleyman said that after the morning board meeting, he sat beside Page during lunch. Their conversation eventually turned towards the future of technology and humanity’s ability to explore space.
He recalled that Page believed Suleyman was among those who viewed technological progress through a limited human-centric perspective.
“And he said, you know, I think that what you don’t understand, Mustafa, is that by the end of the century, I’m going to be exploring the galaxies at the head of a von Neumann probe,” Suleyman recalled Page saying.
A von Neumann probe is a theoretical autonomous spacecraft capable of travelling through space, gathering resources and potentially constructing copies of itself. Such machines could theoretically spread across distant star systems without requiring humans to travel aboard them.
Elon Musk backs Larry Page’s prediction
Musk responded positively after Suleyman shared the story, suggesting that Page’s ambitious forecast might not be as unrealistic as it sounds.
“Our civilization would be winning wondrously if we are exploring the galaxy with Von Neumann probes by 2100!” Musk wrote.
“Larry Page might be right. He has correctly predicted many things,” he added.
While interstellar exploration using autonomous spacecraft remains theoretical, the exchange highlights the long-term technological ambitions shared by some of Silicon Valley’s most influential figures.
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Quick AnswersPowered by
Ask News18What did Larry Page predict in 2015 regarding space exploration?
In 2015, Google co-founder Larry Page predicted that by the end of the century, humans would explore distant galaxies at the head of a von Neumann probe, which is an autonomous spacecraft capable of travelling through space and self-replicating.
Why was Elon Musk part of DeepMind’s Ethics and Safety Board?
Elon Musk was selected as one of the independent members of DeepMind’s Ethics and Safety Board following Google’s acquisition of the startup in 2014. Establishing this board with independent representation was a specific condition set by DeepMind’s founders during the acquisition process.
What is a von Neumann probe as described in Mustafa Suleyman’s recollection?
A von Neumann probe is a theoretical autonomous spacecraft capable of travelling through space, gathering resources, and constructing copies of itself. These machines could theoretically spread across distant star systems without needing humans to travel aboard them.
Powered byAsk News18First Published:
October 30, 2026, 16:16 IST
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