Elon Musk Predicts Work Will Become Optional Within 10-20 Years Due to AI and Robotics Advances

Elon Musk makes big 'working will be optional in future' prediction due to AI in Nikhil Kamath's podcast

Elon Musk predicts that work will become optional within the next 10 to 15 years due to rapid advancements in AI and robotics. He likens this future to having the choice between growing your own vegetables or buying them from a store. Musk is confident that people will have access to any goods and services they desire. While speaking to Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath on the People by WTF podcast, Elon Musk predicted that work will become optional in the future due to rapid advancements in AI and robotics. "My prediction is, in the future, working will be optional. They don't have to -- I mean, look, 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 that, in less than 20 years, but maybe even as little as, I don't know, ten or 15 years, the advancements in AI and robotics will bring us to the point where working is optional," said Elon Musk while speaking to Kamath. "In the same way that, like, say, you can grow your own vegetables in your garden or you could go to the store and buy vegetables. You know. It's much harder to grow your own vegetables. But some people like to grow their vegetables, which is fine. But it'll be optional, in that way, is my prediction," said Musk. 'I'm confident that if AI and robotics continue to advance -- which they are advancing very rapidly -- like I said, working will be optional, and people will have any goods and services that they want. 'If you can think of it, you can have it' type of thing," said Musk.

Elon Musk Predicts 'People Don't Have To Work At All' In 20 Years Years As AI and Robotics Advance: It Will Be Like A 'Hobby' - Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO, Elon Musk, said that the world is heading toward a future where traditional employment becomes obsolete, as rapid progress in artificial intelligence and robotics fundamentally reshapes the global economy. 'Working Will Be Optional' In 20 Years Appearing on the People By WTF podcast on Sunday, the billionaire entrepreneur said that the pace of technological acceleration will allow most people to stop working entirely, speaking to host Nikhil Kamath, the co-founder of Zerodha, India's discount stockbroking platform. "Well, I think it'll actually be that people don't have to work at all," he said, adding that the shift may arrive sooner than many expect. "My prediction is, in less than 20 years, working will be optional. Working at all will be optional." See Also: 'They're Hiring You For Your Personality Traits,' Says Coursera CEO Greg Hart As AI Replaces 40% Of Entry-Level Tasks Across Major Firms Musk described this transition as a natural outcome of exponential improvements in automation, explaining that the role of human labor will fundamentally change. In that world, he said, working would essentially become "like a hobby." Musk framed the shift as both a technological and societal milestone. He noted that AI and robotics are advancing at a "supersonic tsunami" scale, pushing productivity far beyond what human-driven systems can match. He also noted that as these trends gain momentum, people will no longer be making beelines to cities solely for job opportunities. He maintains that this shift is not speculative but an inevitable result of current trends. "That's my prediction," he said. Musk Pitches 'Universal High Income' Musk has made similar claims in the past as well, saying, "Working will be optional in the future," in a recent post on X, while making the case for a "universal high income." He made these comments in response to Peter Diamandis, Executive Chairman at The Singularity University, who raised concerns regarding the growing layoffs in 2025 being tied to the advances in AI and automation. While the idea for a universal basic income has circulated for the past several decades, Musk's "Universal High Income" marks a conceptual leap, which policy experts such as Ryan Waite suggest is "about sharing [the] AI-driven surplus, so people participate [can] in growth, not just get cushioned from loss." Shares of Tesla were up 0.84% on Friday, ending the week at $430.17, and are down 0.89% overnight. The stock does well on Momentum, but has slipped on Growth and Quality. It has a favorable price trend in the Medium and Long terms. Click here for deeper insights into the stock, its peers and competitors. Read More: Tesla Is Hiring AI, Chip Engineers As Custom Chip Production Expands Photo Courtesy: Photo Agency on Shutterstock.com TSLATesla Inc$430.200.01%OverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs