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Elon Musk Says Work Will Be Optional in 20 Years Thanks to AI and Robots

MarketDash Editorial Team
7 days ago
Tesla CEO Elon Musk envisions a future where traditional employment disappears entirely within two decades, driven by exponential advances in artificial intelligence and robotics. He's also pitching something called "universal high income" to replace today's economic model.

The End of Work as We Know It

Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has a bold prediction for the next two decades: you won't need to work. Not because the economy collapsed or some dystopian nightmare materialized, but because AI and robots will handle pretty much everything.

Speaking on the People By WTF podcast Sunday with host Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha (India's discount stockbroking platform), Musk laid out his vision for a jobless future. "Well, I think it'll actually be that people don't have to work at all," he said. "My prediction is, in less than 20 years, working will be optional. Working at all will be optional."

In Musk's telling, this isn't some far-off sci-fi scenario. It's the natural result of exponential improvements in automation. Work, he argues, will transform from economic necessity into something more like a hobby—something you do because you enjoy it, not because you need to pay rent.

A Supersonic Tsunami of Automation

The Tesla chief described this shift as both a technological breakthrough and a societal turning point. AI and robotics are advancing at what he called a "supersonic tsunami" scale, pushing productivity levels far beyond anything human-driven systems can achieve.

As these trends accelerate, Musk believes people will stop making beelines to cities just for job opportunities. The entire economic structure that's driven urbanization for centuries could fundamentally change. And according to Musk, this isn't speculation—it's inevitable based on current trajectories.

This marks a complete reimagining of what human labor means. When machines can do essentially everything more efficiently and cheaply than humans, the traditional employment model simply stops making sense.

Universal High Income, Not Basic Income

Musk has floated these ideas before. In a recent post on X, he wrote "Working will be optional in the future" while advocating for something he calls "universal high income."

Those comments came in response to Peter Diamandis, Executive Chairman at The Singularity University, who raised concerns about growing layoffs in 2025 tied to advances in AI and automation.

While universal basic income has been discussed for decades, Musk's "universal high income" represents a conceptual leap. Policy expert Ryan Waite suggests it's "about sharing [the] AI-driven surplus, so people [can] participate in growth, not just get cushioned from loss."

In other words, instead of just preventing people from falling through the cracks, the idea is to let everyone share in the massive wealth that AI-driven productivity could generate. It's an optimistic take on a future that makes a lot of people nervous.

Tesla Stock Update

Tesla shares closed Friday up 0.84% at $430.17, ending the week on a positive note. The stock dipped 0.89% in overnight trading. Tesla performs well on momentum metrics but has slipped on growth and quality measures. The stock shows favorable price trends in both medium and long-term timeframes.

Back to News

Elon Musk Says Work Will Be Optional in 20 Years Thanks to AI and Robots

MarketDash Editorial Team
7 days ago
Tesla CEO Elon Musk envisions a future where traditional employment disappears entirely within two decades, driven by exponential advances in artificial intelligence and robotics. He's also pitching something called "universal high income" to replace today's economic model.

The End of Work as We Know It

Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has a bold prediction for the next two decades: you won't need to work. Not because the economy collapsed or some dystopian nightmare materialized, but because AI and robots will handle pretty much everything.

Speaking on the People By WTF podcast Sunday with host Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha (India's discount stockbroking platform), Musk laid out his vision for a jobless future. "Well, I think it'll actually be that people don't have to work at all," he said. "My prediction is, in less than 20 years, working will be optional. Working at all will be optional."

In Musk's telling, this isn't some far-off sci-fi scenario. It's the natural result of exponential improvements in automation. Work, he argues, will transform from economic necessity into something more like a hobby—something you do because you enjoy it, not because you need to pay rent.

A Supersonic Tsunami of Automation

The Tesla chief described this shift as both a technological breakthrough and a societal turning point. AI and robotics are advancing at what he called a "supersonic tsunami" scale, pushing productivity levels far beyond anything human-driven systems can achieve.

As these trends accelerate, Musk believes people will stop making beelines to cities just for job opportunities. The entire economic structure that's driven urbanization for centuries could fundamentally change. And according to Musk, this isn't speculation—it's inevitable based on current trajectories.

This marks a complete reimagining of what human labor means. When machines can do essentially everything more efficiently and cheaply than humans, the traditional employment model simply stops making sense.

Universal High Income, Not Basic Income

Musk has floated these ideas before. In a recent post on X, he wrote "Working will be optional in the future" while advocating for something he calls "universal high income."

Those comments came in response to Peter Diamandis, Executive Chairman at The Singularity University, who raised concerns about growing layoffs in 2025 tied to advances in AI and automation.

While universal basic income has been discussed for decades, Musk's "universal high income" represents a conceptual leap. Policy expert Ryan Waite suggests it's "about sharing [the] AI-driven surplus, so people [can] participate in growth, not just get cushioned from loss."

In other words, instead of just preventing people from falling through the cracks, the idea is to let everyone share in the massive wealth that AI-driven productivity could generate. It's an optimistic take on a future that makes a lot of people nervous.

Tesla Stock Update

Tesla shares closed Friday up 0.84% at $430.17, ending the week on a positive note. The stock dipped 0.89% in overnight trading. Tesla performs well on momentum metrics but has slipped on growth and quality measures. The stock shows favorable price trends in both medium and long-term timeframes.