The Royal Society, a respected British organization, will convene on Monday following a petition signed by over 3,000 scientists, including multiple Nobel laureates, calling for the removal of Elon Musk from its membership.
The organization was established in 1660 and boasts 1,800 members globally, including 85 Nobel Prize laureates like Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking.
Elon Musk was admitted to the institution in 2018 for his contributions in the fields of space and electric vehicles.
The petition, released in February, alleges that the tech mogul, who owns X, Space X, and Tesla, breached the Royal Society’s ethical guidelines by endorsing baseless conspiracy theories.
The organization meets privately on the evening of the second, with uncertainty about potential actions against Musk.
The company stated to AFP that any issues regarding individual members are handled with utmost confidentiality.
Stephen Curry, an emeritus professor at Imperial College London, describes Elon Musk as a prominent disseminator of misinformation on the X platform.
Curry expressed a desire for the Royal Society members to show wisdom and courage in publicly upholding their values today.
Geoffrey Hinton, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2024 and is known as one of the founders of AI, publicly endorsed Musk’s removal in a recent interview.
Hinton noted that the significant harm he is causing to scientific institutions in the United States is the reason, not his promotion of conspiracy theories and Nazi greetings.
Musk responded promptly to Hinton, stating that only foolish, fearful, and insecure individuals concern themselves with awards and affiliations. He emphasized that history serves as the ultimate judge, dismissing Hinton’s remarks as uninformed, harsh, and inaccurate.
The individuals who signed the petition claim that the alterations Musk implemented on the social platform X led to a rise in misinformation.
It also alleges that the billionaire, who is 53 years old, frequently uses his personal profile on the social media platform to share false information about Covid-19, vaccines, and heart issues.
Stephen Curry emphasizes that the Royal Society’s code of conduct prioritizes scientific integrity, evidence, and truth, rather than controlling political opinions.