Elon Musk Predicts an 'Automated Future': Work Optional, Money Irrelevant — Experts Weigh the Possibility

In a series of bold proclamations, Elon Musk has predicted the end of the traditional economic era, claiming that advances in artificial intelligence and robotics will soon make work a 'choice' and render money obsolete.

The Tesla CEO envisioned a world of 'universal high income' where humanoid robots like Optimus perform nearly all manual and cognitive labour. However, Musk's vision has met significant resistance from economists and financial experts, particularly his controversial advice to stop 'squirrelling away money' for retirement.

Musk argued that within 10 to 20 years, machines could handle most productive labour, creating a world of abundance where people work by choice rather than necessity.

His remarks have reignited global debate over automation, inequality and whether technology alone can usher in a post-scarcity economy.

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Elon Musk Predicts an 'Automated Future'

Speaking at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, DC, he said rapid progress in AI and robotics could create what he described as an automated future. In that world, machines would handle most productive tasks, from factories to services.

He explained that work would become a personal choice rather than an obligation. 'My prediction is that work will be optional. It'll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that,' Musk said. He compared paid jobs to growing food at home, noting that people might still work simply because they enjoy it.

Musk tied this future to the expansion of robotics, including Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots. He has said the company aims to build an AI-focused business beyond electric vehicles.

In previous remarks, Musk suggested that robotics could eventually account for most of Tesla's value, despite delays in scaling the technology.

Work Optional, Money Irrelevant

Beyond work, Musk argued that money itself could become unnecessary. He said a fully automated economy would produce goods and services in abundance, thereby fading scarcity. In that scenario, traditional economic systems would struggle to remain relevant.

Musk referenced the science fiction writer Iain M Banks and his 'Culture' novels, which depict societies without money or compulsory work.

'In those books, money doesn't exist. It's kind of interesting,' Musk said.

He added that continued improvement in AI and robotics could lead to money 'stop being relevant.'

At Viva Technology in 2024, Musk floated the idea of 'universal high income' to support people in a world without required jobs. He said automation would remove production constraints. 'There would be no shortage of goods or services,' he said.

More recently, on the Moonshots with Peter Diamandis podcast, Musk claimed that saving for retirement may no longer matter in 10 to 20 years.

Is an Automated Future Possible?

Economists and labour experts say the vision faces serious obstacles. Ioana Marinescu, an economist and associate professor of public policy at the University of Pennsylvania, questioned whether the timeline is realistic.

'We've been at it making machines forever, since the industrial revolution,' she said, warning that progress often slows after long periods of development.

Marinescu noted that while AI software is becoming cheaper, physical robots remain costly and specialised. She also pointed to a Yale Budget Lab report from October 2025, which found no clear disruption to the wider labour market since ChatGPT's launch in November 2022.

Samuel Solomon, an assistant professor of labour economics at Temple University, said technology alone will not decide the outcome.

'AI has already created so much wealth and will continue to,' he said, adding that the key issue is whether growth will be inclusive.

Apollo Global Management's chief economist Torsten Slok has also warned that AI-driven gains are currently deepening inequality.

Musk's Previous AI Prediction

Musk has repeatedly warned about the speed of artificial intelligence development. He has said he is 'confident' that AI will exceed the combined intelligence of all humans by 2030.

On the Moonshots with Peter Diamandis podcast, he described human lifespan limits as a technical problem. 'You're pre-programmed to die,' Musk said, arguing that changing the programme could extend life.

Other technology leaders share parts of his view. Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently said AI could make expert-level knowledge widely available, while acknowledging uncertainty about how society will manage the shift.

Financial experts, however, continue to urge caution, warning that predictions about money and retirement rely as much on political choices as on technology itself.