I’ll concede that I can’t prove anything in one direction or the other. Years ago I did admire Musk for these things though, and yet the more I learn the less confidence I have that he truly was instrumental in these developments in a way that meaningfully changed the course of history (sorry determinists).

His individual actions certainly bumped things forward. I suppose what I doubt is that no one else would have done that, or that steady gradual adoption wouldn’t have been as far off as we imagine.

I should add a disclaimer here that I don’t feel very strongly about this stuff, and I’m pretty comfortable with being wrong. I also don’t have any major hang ups about Musk; he has undeniably done some great work.