Elon Musk Predicts “Working Will Be Optional” Within Next 20 Years as AI Advances

Elon Musk has once again sparked global debate with his bold prediction that the era of mandatory work is nearing its end. Speaking on Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath's podcast, he said people "won't have to work at all" as artificial intelligence and robotics reshape society.

Musk Says Working Will Become a Choice

During the conversation, Musk said, "Maybe... I say in less than 20 years, working will be optional. Working at all will be optional. It will be like a hobby, pretty much." He added that technological leaps in AI and robotics could make this shift possible within 10 to 15 years.

He acknowledged that his bold timeline may face criticism. "Obviously, people can play this back in 20 years and say, 'Look, Elon made this ridiculous prediction, and it's not true,' but I think it will turn out to be true," he said. Musk compared the future of work to growing vegetables at home versus simply buying them from a store.

AI Delivering Unlimited Goods and Services

The tech billionaire expressed confidence in the capabilities of advanced AI. According to him, "If AI and robotics continue to advance, working will be optional and people will have any goods and services that they want." Musk said the future might evolve into a world where "if you can think of it, you can have it".

He predicted a scenario where machines could eventually "run out of things to do to make humans happy", leading them to focus on tasks for themselves. "At a certain point, AI will actually saturate on anything humans can think of," he said.

End of Money and the Disappearance of Poverty

Musk referenced similar remarks he made at the US-Saudi Investment Forum on November 19, where he said AI and robots would make work optional, render money "irrelevant" and eliminate poverty. "AI and humanoid robots will actually eliminate poverty," he said, adding that advanced systems would "make everyone wealthy".

In his latest comments, Musk reiterated that money may no longer be needed in the future. "Honestly, it's kind of strange, but in a future where anyone can have anything, I think you no longer need money as a database for labour allocation." He suggested that "power generation" could become the main form of currency in such a world.