Asger Risom
A world where jobs resemble hobbies and money fades into obscurity — that’s the future Elon Musk sketched this week at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum in Washington.
A world where jobs resemble hobbies and money fades into obscurity — that’s the future Elon Musk sketched this week at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum in Washington. His vision places robots and AI at the center of a sweeping economic transformation, even as economists warn the reality may be far more complicated.
Optional labor
Musk told attendees that within 10 to 20 years most people will choose whether to work, comparing it to the difference between buying vegetables and growing them for fun. “My prediction is that work will be optional,” he said, adding that future jobs may feel more like sports or video games.
He argued that millions of humanoid robots will drive an era of unprecedented productivity. Tesla, he noted, is evolving into a robotics powerhouse, with Musk claiming that the Optimus line could ultimately account for the majority of the company’s value.
But his optimism contrasts with anxieties about AI replacing entry-level roles and flattening income growth — worries that economists say already appear in early labor-market data.
A world beyond money
Musk also floated a future inspired by Iain M. Banks’ Culture novels, where abundance renders money irrelevant. “If you go out long enough … money will stop being relevant,” he said, suggesting that abundant AI-generated goods and services would eliminate scarcity.
At last year’s VivaTech conference, he pointed to “universal high income” as one possible support system, echoing arguments made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Musk again offered no blueprint for how such a system would function politically or economically.
Hard limits
Economists interviewed by Fortune were skeptical of Musk’s timeline. Ioana Marinescu of the University of Pennsylvania said robotics remain vastly more expensive and slower to scale than AI software. She noted that history shows diminishing returns when pushing mature technologies to new extremes.
Despite rapid advances in AI, physical automation lags. A Yale Budget Lab study found little measurable disruption to the broader labor market since ChatGPT’s debut, raising doubts about how quickly workplaces will adopt full-scale automation.
Temple University’s Samuel Solomon said the political infrastructure needed to distribute wealth in a job-optional world is an even tougher challenge. “Will it create inclusive prosperity?” he asked.
Meaning in a machine age
Beyond economics, researchers warn of deeper questions. Anton Korinek of the University of Virginia said work currently provides the structure for most meaningful human relationships. Without it, society may need entirely new ways to create purpose.
Musk acknowledged the existential stakes. “If the computer and robots can do everything better than you, does your life have meaning?” he asked. In his view, humanity may still play one role: “We may give AI meaning.”
Sources: Fortune, Brookings Institution, Yale Budget Lab.
