Walter Isaacson suggests Elon Musk's childhood fascination with sci-fi motivated him to enter the AI race with his startup xAI.Michael Kovac/GettyWalter Isaacson said Elon Musk's AI motives likely stem from early ambitions inspired by sci-fi themes.Isaacson said Musk told him he wanted to start an AI company because he didn't trust Sam Altman.Isaacson said Musk believes multiple AI developers can check each other, despite contradictions.Walter Isaacson remembers the moment Elon Musk shared his vision of creating a new AI company while lounging at a pool at a rented house in Austin.The author spent two years shadowing Musk in meetings and his daily life as the billionaire ran Tesla and acquired Twitter, eventually publishing the biography, "Elon Musk.""He's telling me, 'I'm gonna start from scratch an AI company 'cause I don't trust Sam Altman,'" Isaacson recalled in an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box published Friday.Isaacson also suggested in the interview that Musk's childhood aspirations and interest in science fiction may be contributing factors behind his decision to enter the AI race in 2023 with his startup xAI.