Elon Musk predicts that in the next 10 to 20 years, work will become optional, and money will lose its significance due to the advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics.

By Ayush Sachan

In the future, Elon Musk envisions humans as metaphorical vegetable farmers.

At the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Tesla (TSLA) CEO expressed that in the next 10 to 20 years, work will become optional. This analogy was drawn between having a job and the more demanding maintenance of a vegetable garden.

My prediction is that work will become optional. It will be similar to engaging in sports, playing video games, or similar activities. If you choose to work, it will be akin to going to the store to purchase vegetables or cultivating them in your backyard. While backyard gardening is more challenging, some individuals persist in doing so due to their enjoyment of the process.

According to Musk, the future of optional work will be shaped by the widespread adoption of millions of robots in the workforce, which will lead to a significant boost in productivity. The tech mogul, who is currently worth approximately $470 billion, has recently made a concerted effort to expand Tesla beyond its traditional focus on electric vehicles. He is actively working on consolidating his diverse business interests into a broader vision of an AI-driven, robotic-powered future. This vision includes his ambitious goal of having 80% of Tesla’s value derived from his Optimus robots, despite the ongoing production delays for these humanoid bots.

At Viva Technology 2024, Elon Musk proposed the concept of “universal high income” as a solution to a world without the need for essential work. However, he refrained from providing specific details on how this system would operate. This idea aligns with the stance of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who has been a proponent of universal basic income, which involves regular, unconditional payments to individuals, typically administered by the government.

At last year’s conference, Musk assured that there would be no shortage of goods or services.