Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has made a bold prediction about the transformative potential of AI and robotics, asserting that these technologies will ultimately lead to a future of “universal high income” and eliminate the need for individuals to save money. Musk labeled the newly announced Trump Accounts a “nice gesture” that he believes will ultimately be useless.
Fox Business reports that in a recent post on X, his social media platform, Musk responded to investor Ray Dalio’s announcement about contributing to “Trump accounts”—new savings and investment accounts for young Americans created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While acknowledging the philanthropic gesture, Musk expressed his belief that saving money will become unnecessary in the future due to the advent of “universal high income” brought about by AI and robotics.
This is not the first time Musk has shared his thoughts on the profound impact AI and robotics will have on society and the economy. Speaking at the Viva Technology conference in Paris in May 2024, the tech mogul addressed concerns about job displacement caused by AI, stating that in a “benign scenario,” most people would not need to work, as AI and robots would be capable of performing tasks more efficiently than humans. Musk envisions a future where “universal high income”—not just a basic income—prevails, ensuring an abundance of goods and services for all.
According to Musk, there is an 80 percent probability that AI will lead to a situation where jobs become optional, with work serving more as a hobby than a necessity. He suggests that in this scenario, the primary question will revolve around finding meaning in life, as computers and robots will be able to outperform humans in virtually every task.
The Tesla CEO’s predictions extend beyond the realm of work and income. He has also stated that AI and robotics are the only solutions to the massive U.S. debt crisis, and that money itself will become irrelevant in the future as these technologies progress.
Breitbart News reported that Musk doubled down on his utopian dreams of AI and robots in November:
Musk explained, “My prediction is that work will be optional. It’ll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that. If you want to work, [it’s] the same way you can go to the store and just buy some vegetables, or you can grow vegetables in your backyard. It’s much harder to grow vegetables in your backyard, and some people still do it because they like growing vegetables.”
Musk attributes this future of optional work to the rise of millions of robots in the workforce, capable of ushering in a wave of enhanced productivity. The tech mogul, worth approximately $470 billion, has been working on consolidating his sprawling business interests into his broader vision of an AI-fueled, robotic-powered future. This includes his goal of having 80 percent of Tesla’s value come from his Optimus robots, despite continuous production delays for the humanoid bots and the departure of key executives.
Read more at Fox Business here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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