Businessman Elon Musk said that, within 10 to 20 years, work could become optional thanks to the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. The prediction was made during the US–Saudi Arabia Investment Forum, in Washington, USA, amid debates about the impact of automation on the job market and the future of income.
Musk compared the future of work to the decision to keep a small vegetable garden: possible, but not necessary. According to him, jobs will only exist for those who want to carry out activities for pleasure, such as playing sports or playing video games. He stated that the scenario depends on millions of robots capable of decisively increasing global productivity.
The billionaire said he intends to transform Tesla into a company centered on humanoid robots, and his goal is for 80% of the company’s value to come from Optimus, a robot still under development and marked by delays.
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However, automation is already putting pressure on entry-level jobs, especially affecting young people from Generation Z and, for American critics, this movement could widen inequalities and limit opportunities in a market that grows unevenly.
Musk also suggested that, in this automated future, money will lose relevance. He cited the “Culture” book series by Iain M. Banks, which describes a post-scarcity society without traditional jobs. The businessman also mentioned the possibility of a “universal high income” mechanism, although without detailing how it would work.
According to Fortune, economists say the path to this scenario is uncertain, because although AI is advancing quickly, robotics remains expensive, complex and slow. The expectation is that large-scale automation should occur, but not at the pace projected by Musk, as physical machines require high investments.
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Even if technology continues to evolve, there are political obstacles, considering that financially supporting a society in which a large part of the population does not work would require robust public policies, new financing models and strong coordination between governments. There are also doubts about whether the wealth generated by AI will be distributed inclusively or concentrated among a few groups.
Researchers also warn of deeper social impacts, because an important part of human bonds is built in the work environment. In a future without traditional jobs, it will be necessary to rethink how people form relationships, build routines and find purpose in highly automated societies.
Musk recognized this challenge when talking about the existential nature of the changes and, for him, even if robots do “everything better than humans”, it will still be up to people to make sense of the machines.
