Elon Musk Claims Money May Lose Its Power And Work Could Become Optional Within 20 Years
Elon Musk is once again challenging how we think about the future of the economy, work, and even money itself. In a series of recent talks and interviews, he has argued that advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics could, within the next 10–20 years, make most traditional jobs optional and dramatically reduce the importance of money in everyday life. What exactly is Musk predicting? Musk’s core claim is straightforward but radical: if AI systems and humanoid robots continue to improve at their current pace, machines will eventually perform almost all forms of labor better, faster, and cheaper than humans. In that world, people would no longer need to work to survive. Instead, work would become something people choose to do for meaning, creativity, or status — more like a hobby than an obligation. At recent technology and investment forums, he has repeated the view that AI and robots will drive such powerful productivity gains that “working will be optional” in less than...
