Elon Musk predicts AI will replace all jobs, ‘working will be optional’

At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a major factor in the job market, Tesla's chief billionaire Elon Musk has said that AI and robots will replace all jobs.

Musk replying to a post on X that referred to the New York Times’ report of Amazon planning to replace1,60,000 jobs by 2027 with robots, also said that due to AI replacing all jobs, work will be optional for humans.

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“AI and robots will replace all jobs. Working will be optional, like growing your own vegetables, instead of buying them from the store,” wrote Musk.

Although it seemed that Musk was referring to a grim future, his view on AI in another post on X counters the impression. Here too, Musk was responding to a post on X regarding “800,000 layoffs” this year, out of which “10,000 in September along is tied to AI.”

‘Universal high income’

Musk responded to the post, saying that working will become “optional” in the future, adding that there will be universal high income.

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“Working will be optional in the future. There will be universal high income,” stated Musk.

Musk, known for his often unconventional views on the future of the tech industry, is himself leading xAI project to an AI-only software company, named Macrohard, while Tesla is working on improving its Optimus robot.

Predicts almost free goods and services

The Tesla CEO, in an interview with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz in March, predicted that in the future, “goods and services will become close to free.”

He explained that “you will have tens of billions of robots that will make you anything or provide any service you want for basically next to nothing,” reported Mint.

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Musk suggested that this technological revolution, driven by artificial intelligence and robotics, would allow humanity to enjoy a much higher standard of living.

However, he cautioned that as material needs become easily fulfilled, people may struggle to find deeper purpose. “It’s not that people will have a lower standard of living; they’ll actually have a much higher standard of living. The challenge will be fulfilment. How do you derive fulfilment and meaning in life?” he said as quoted by Mint.

Earlier remarks

However, this is not the first time the Tesla CEO has mentioned the possibility of such an AI-driven future. At the VivaTech 2024 conference in Paris last year, he had said there was an “80 per cent chance” of such a future where there will be no lack of goods and services, reported India Today.

In another post in 2024, Musk had stated that in future every human may have “their own personal R2-D2 and C-3PO”, referring to the robots R2-D2 and C-3PO from the Star Wars series.