But Musk starts with mentioning "Terminator". There's plenty of sf literature showing much more accuratly danger of AI, though none of them as widely known as "Terminator".
That AI may have unexpected dangers seems too vague to me, to expect Musk to think along lines of LWers.
Terminator is way more popular than the others.
2001? Not catastrophic enough.
I, Robot (the movie)? Not nearly as popular or classic, and it features a comparatively easy solution
Terminator has '99% of humanity wiped out, let's really REALLY avoid this scenario' AND 'computers following directions exactly, not accomplishing what intended'
http://www.businessinsider.com/musk-on-artificial-intelligence-2014-6
Summary: The only non-Tesla/SpaceX/SolarCity companies that Musk is invested in are DeepMind and Vicarious, due to vague feelings of wanting AI to not unintentionally go Terminator. The best part of the article is the end, where he acknowledges that Mars isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card any more: "KE: Or escape to mars if there is no other option. MUSK: The A.I. will chase us there pretty quickly." Thinking of SpaceX not as a childhood dream, but as one specific arms supplier in the war against existential risks, puts things into perspective for him.