Elon Musk Takes a Swipe at Microsoft Word

Musk’s critique underscores his perspective on striking a balance between linguistic inclusivity and personal liberty. Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and X, ridiculed Microsoft Word’s Inclusiveness feature, alleging that the feature “reprimands” users for not employing words considered inclusive.

Musk posted a screenshot on his X accounts, revealing Microsoft Word’s inclusivity feature proposing the substitution of the term “insane” due to its perceived mental health bias. While the inclusivity feature advocates for the use of inclusive language, it can be deactivated in the settings for those who prefer not to utilize it. Musk’s commentary on the feature emphasizes his viewpoint regarding the equilibrium between linguistic inclusivity and the individual freedom of expression.

This incident has ignited conversations about the delicate line between promoting inclusive language and the potential drawbacks of language regulation. Musk’s remarks contribute to the ongoing discourse in the tech industry regarding the role of AI in language and the potential unintended consequences. According to Microsoft, the Perspective tool “illuminates potentially perplexing numbers in documents.” Word then “proffers perspective phrases that are straightforward to grasp and can be inserted inline to assist individuals in comprehending what they’re writing or reading.”