(NewsNation) — Elon Musk on Wednesday predicted “work will be optional” within the next two decades because of technological innovations.
When asked about the long-term impacts of robotics on the workforce, the Tesla CEO and artificial intelligence proponent told a crowd at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum that working will eventually “be like playing sports or a video game or something like that” — completely up to the individual.
“In the same way you can go to the store and just buy some vegetables, or you can grow vegetables in your backyard,” Musk said. “It’s much harder to grow vegetables in your backyard, but some people still do it because they like growing vegetables.”
He clarified there is a long way to go for society to reach that point, but did not expand further on what those steps would be, and whose work could be automated.
Money will lose relevance: Musk
In a future where work is optional, Musk also predicts that money will lose its relevance, stating: “My guess is, if you go out long enough, assuming there’s a continued improvement in AI and robotics, which seems likely, then money will stop being relevant at some point in the future.”
Along those same lines, Musk predicted that “AI and humanoid robots will actually eliminate poverty.” Noting that he envisions humanoid robots becoming “the biggest product ever, bigger than cellphones or anything else, because everyone’s going to want one.”
Musk has long been a supporter of AI. He cofounded OpenAI and outfitted his social platform, X, with chatbot Grok after his platform takeover.
AI sector shaping markets around the globe
The AI sector is increasingly shaping markets around the world, with tech giants such as Apple, Google and Nvidia — which all embrace the software — dominating stock markets as part of the “Magnificent Seven.”
Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang discussed artificial intelligence and the future of technology with Abdullah al-Swaha, Saudi Arabia‘s communications and technology information minister, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The event came a day after President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for investment talks and a formal dinner, attended by Musk and Huang.