Musk Says Jobs May Become Optional and Money May Lose Relevance
Tesla CEO says accelerating robotics will drive productivity to levels where jobs become voluntary and money loses relevance.
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Work may become optional within the next 10 to 20 years and money could lose its relevance, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington this week, outlining a future shaped by rapid advances in robotics and artificial intelligence.
Musk said employment could become something people pursue for enjoyment rather than survival, comparing it to tending a garden or playing a sport.
In his view, millions of robots entering the workforce will drive such large productivity gains that traditional jobs will no longer anchor economic life.
“Work will be optional, predicting a 10- to 20-year timeline for the shift. It’ll be like playing sports or a videogame, you can go to the store and buy vegetables, or grow them in your backyard. It’s much harder to grow vegetables, and some people still do it because they like it,” Musk said.
Musk tied the idea to his push to reposition Tesla as a robotics-and-AI firm, arguing that its Optimus humanoid robots could eventually represent most of the firm’s value despite continuing production delays.
His remarks come at a time when automation is already intensifying concerns about job prospects, particularly for younger workers facing tougher entry-level markets and slower wage growth.
That tension has made Musk’s vision of “optional work” sound less utopian to many observers.
Musk pushed the idea further, citing Iain M. Banks’ sci-fi “Culture” series, a post-scarcity universe where superintelligent AI runs society and money is obsolete.
“My guess is, money will stop being relevant,” he said, assuming AI and robotics continue their rapid advance.
It’s not the first time Musk has expressed such ideas.
At Viva Technology 2024, he hinted at a future supported by “universal high income,” echoing arguments made by people like OpenAI’s Sam Altman in favor of a universal basic income.
