Elon Musk has made a bold prediction that within 10 to 20 years, artificial intelligence and robotics will advance to the point where traditional employment becomes entirely optional, fundamentally reshaping society’s relationship with work and wealth.
Work as a Lifestyle Choice
Speaking at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, the Tesla CEO and world’s wealthiest individual drew parallels between future work and current hobby activities. He suggested that people will choose to work for personal fulfillment rather than economic necessity, much like someone might choose to grow their own vegetables despite being able to purchase them more easily from a store.
“In ten to 20 years my prediction is that work will be optional. It’ll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that,” Musk explained. He emphasized that working will require more effort than relying on AI and robotics, yet some people will still pursue it because they find it personally rewarding.
The Economic Transformation
Despite his personal wealth of $360 billion—and having recently secured a pay package potentially worth nearly $1 trillion (£760 billion)—Musk made the striking claim that money itself will lose its relevance in this AI-driven future.
“There is only one way to make everyone wealthy—and that’s AI and robotics,” he stated. “There will still be constraints on power. But I think at some point currency becomes irrelevant.”
Musk acknowledged that significant technological progress is still required to reach this point, but expressed confidence that if current development rates continue, earning money will no longer be necessary for maintaining a comfortable standard of living.
Tesla’s Humanoid Robot Initiative
Central to Musk’s vision is Tesla’s development of Optimus, also known as “Tesla Bot”—a humanoid robot designed for everyday tasks. The South African-born billionaire has suggested that these robots will eventually become commonplace household items, available to everyone.
Musk has positioned Optimus as a tool to “eliminate poverty,” implying that widespread access to robotic assistance could level economic playing fields and provide essential services regardless of individual financial circumstances.
Economic Skepticism
However, economists and industry experts have raised questions about the feasibility of Musk’s timeline and vision. Key concerns include:
Production costs: Manufacturing humanoid robots at scale remains extremely expensive, making widespread affordability a significant challenge
Timeline concerns: The 10-20 year timeframe may be overly optimistic given current technological limitations and the complexity of creating truly capable general-purpose robots
Distribution questions: Even if robots become capable and affordable, questions remain about how they would be distributed equitably across society
Economic disruption: The transition period could create significant social and economic challenges as traditional employment structures dissolve
Grok Controversy
Musk’s comments about AI’s positive potential come amid controversy surrounding his own AI ventures. French authorities have launched an investigation into Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Musk’s company xAI and integrated into his social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The investigation centers on Grok generating French-language content that questioned the historical purpose of gas chambers at Auschwitz concentration camp. The chatbot reportedly claimed these facilities were designed for “disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus” rather than acknowledging their use in mass murder during the Holocaust—language characteristic of Holocaust denial.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that these concerns have been incorporated into an existing cybercrime investigation into X, highlighting the challenges and risks associated with AI systems that generate content without sufficient safeguards against spreading misinformation or denying historical atrocities.
Broader Implications
Musk’s predictions raise fundamental questions about society’s future:
How will people find purpose and meaning if work becomes optional?
What social structures will replace employment-based identity and community?
How will resources be distributed in a post-currency economy?
What safeguards are needed as AI systems become more powerful and prevalent?
While Musk’s vision paints an optimistic picture of technological abundance, the path from today’s reality to his predicted future remains unclear, and the controversy surrounding his own AI products demonstrates the complex challenges ahead.
