New Delhi, Nov 30 : Tech magnate Elon Musk asserts that rapidly accelerating advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics will render compulsory human labor obsolete, potentially making work an “optional hobby” within the next two decades.
The CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI shared this optimistic, yet radical, forecast during a recent podcast conversation with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath.
“My prediction is that in less than 20 years, working will be optional, like a hobby, pretty much,” Musk stated, suggesting the massive scale of AI and automation could materialize this shift in as little as 10 to 15 years.
Work Compared to Gardening
Musk drew an analogy to illustrate the future of work, comparing it to the choice between gardening and shopping. He explained that just as a person can choose to grow their own vegetables in their garden or simply buy them at a store, future employment will be a matter of personal preference rather than economic necessity.
He expressed confidence that as AI systems and sophisticated robotics, like the Tesla Optimus humanoid, continue to evolve, they will generate all necessary goods and services, ushering in an “Age of Abundance.”
Money May Become ‘Irrelevant’
The technology mogul also reiterated a prediction previously made at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in November, suggesting that in a highly automated world, the concept of monetary currency may lose its meaning.
“My guess is, if you go out long enough, assuming there’s a continued improvement in AI and robotics… then money will stop being relevant at some point in the future,” Musk said.
However, he cautioned that fundamental constraints like power, electricity, and mass would remain limiting factors even in a machine-dominated era.
Musk further speculated that after fulfilling all human needs, AI and robotics might reach a saturation point where they “run out of things to do to make humans happy,” forcing the intelligent systems to find purposes for themselves.
