Society should only eject fellows for fraud or other defects in their research, says Paul Nurse
The president of the Royal Society has reignited a row over Elon Musk’s association with the body by arguing that fellows should only be ejected for fraud or other defects in their research.
In an interview with the Guardian, Paul Nurse defended the academy’s decision not to take action against Musk – who was elected a fellow in 2008 – despite claims the tech billionaire had violated its code of conduct, including by his role in slashing US research funding as part of the US “department of government efficiency”.
Nurse, who became president of the society for the second time last month, said the code of conduct may need to be looked at, adding: “We elect people for scientific achievement or delivery. And therefore my view is that we get rid of them if that turns out to be false or not correct.”
Musk’s fellowship has become freshly contentious after revelations that his Grok AI tool within X allows the digital removal of clothing from images, including of women and children.
