Elon Musk Predicts Work Will Be Optional Within 20 Years
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has made a bold prediction: within two decades, having a job could become a choice, not a necessity. He shared this vision during a podcast with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath, attributing the shift to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics.
Key Takeaways
- Elon Musk predicts work will become “optional, like a hobby” in less than 20 years.
- This shift will be driven by AI and robotics capable of performing all human tasks.
- Musk also suggests money could become irrelevant in a future dominated by advanced AI.
- Fundamental constraints like power and electricity will remain, even if currency fades.
“My prediction is that in less than 20 years, working will be optional, like a hobby, pretty much,” Elon Musk said during a podcast with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath shared on social media.
Musk elaborated that AI’s capabilities will eventually saturate all conceivable human needs and desires. He described a point where AI and robotics “run out of things to do that make humans happy,” leading to a self-sustaining cycle where AI works for itself.
The Future of Money in an AI World
Extending his forecast, Musk discussed the potential irrelevance of money in an AI-dominated future. He suggested that continued improvement in AI and robotics could make currency obsolete, a concept explored in science fiction.
“My guess is, if you go out long enough, assuming there’s a continued improvement in AI and robotics, which seems likely, then money will stop being relevant at some point in the future,” Musk said at the forum.
However, he clarified that physical constraints would persist. Basic resources like power, electricity, and mass would remain limiting factors, governed by the laws of physics, even in a post-currency society.
“There will still be constraints on power, electricity and mass. The fundamental physics elements will still be constraints. But I think at some point, currency becomes irrelevant.”
The discussion highlights Musk’s long-term perspective on technological disruption, pointing towards a fundamental redefinition of work, value, and resource management.
