Elon Musk Said Work Will Be 'Optional' In The Coming Years: 'It Will Just Be Like Playing Games'

Elon Musk's bold forecast at the US-Saudi Investment Forum on 19 November 2025 has sent shockwaves through global discourse. He painted a future where AI robotics render work 'optional' like video games and universal high income eradicates poverty.

Musk's comments have sparked a surge of global interest, with analysts scrutinising whether Tesla's reported £1.2 billion investment in artificial intelligence can realistically underpin such a vision.

Musk's Radical Prediction: AI and Robots Usher in Optional Labour

On 19 Novemer, Musk declared that within 10 to 20 years, AI and humanoid robots like Tesla's Optimus will automate most tasks, making work 'optional' akin to hobbies. 'It'll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that,' he stated at the US-Saudi Investment Forum, comparing it to growing backyard vegetables despite abundant market options.

Musk emphasised abundance: 'There would be no shortage of goods or services,' echoing his Viva Technology 2024 remarks on universal high income—not mere basic support, but enough for any desired products. Business Insider analyses highlight Musk's timeline, projecting Optimus deployment in Tesla factories by late 2025.

Yet, economists like Ioana Marinescu from the University of Pennsylvania warn robotics remain stubbornly expensive, potentially delaying widespread adoption beyond Musk's optimistic horizon. X user @TheHumanoidHub noted: 'Elon Musk describes AI as a "supersonic tsunami" that will overtake digital jobs "like lightning."'

This vision reframes labour as leisure, but hinges on equitable access to technology.

Universal High Income: Ending Poverty Through Robotic Abundance

Musk envisions AI-driven prosperity eliminating poverty via 'universal high income', where governments distribute wealth from automated productivity. He asserted: 'There is essentially one way to make everyone wealthy, and that is through AI and robotics.'

This surpasses traditional universal basic income, as Musk told Joe Rogan in October 2025: 'We'll have, in a benign scenario, universal high income... Anyone can have any products or services that they want.'

NDTV and The Times of India reports detail how Optimus could slash labour costs to zero, boosting global GDP by factors of 10 to 100, with no scarcity in essentials like medical care or housing.

Foundational research by Frey and Osborne, referenced in Brookings analyses, estimates that up to 47% of US jobs face high automation risk, while a recent Brookings paper co-authored by Marinescu models wage pressures emerging after 37% of cognitive tasks are automated—potentially necessitating £500 billion ($767 billion) annual redistributions for economic stability

Critics, including X analyst @slow_developer, caution: 'Outcomes vary, and the path is disruptive; one possibility is a "Terminator" scenario.'

Challenges and Disruptions: Trauma on the Road to Utopia

While Musk paints an idyllic future, he acknowledges 'a lot of trauma and disruption along the way' from AI-driven job displacement. Speaking on 7 November 2025 to Joe Rogan, he predicted desk jobs vanishing 'at a very rapid pace', with physical roles like plumbing enduring longer.

Economists like Anton Korinek from the University of Virginia highlight psychological voids: a 1938 Harvard study shows work fosters meaningful relationships, which AI abundance might erode without new paradigms.

The Cooldown reports Musk's call for governments to implement high income to stabilise demand, amid debates on inflation risks if productivity lags. On X, @LondonRealTV summarised: 'Jobs that don't require physical labor will disappear first... work will become a choice, not a necessity.'

Diverse sources like Al Arabiya urge ethical frameworks to mitigate biases in AI deployment, ensuring the transition favours humanity over hype.