Elon Musk Says AI And Robots Could Render Jobs Optional — Welcome To 2045

Visionary entrepreneur Elon Musk has made another bold prediction: artificial intelligence and advanced robotics could soon make human employment entirely optional.

Welcome to 2045, the year Musk suggests this revolutionary, job-free era might finally begin.

The Promise of 'Near Full Abundance'

During a discussion with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Elon Musk asserted that the swift progress in intelligent technology could propel civilisation towards what he termed 'near full abundance.'

He proposed that this involves not only gradual development but also a possible societal transformation in which products, amenities, and work become so automated and affordable that employment becomes a personal choice rather than a financial requirement.

Approaching the Technological 'Singularity'

In the conversation, Musk remarked that civilisation is 'really headed into the singularity,' drawing a comparison between AI breakthroughs and the mysterious physics of a black hole. 'They refer to AI sometimes as the kind of like a black hole. Like a singularity,' he said.

'You don't know what happens after the event horizon," Musk said in the video. 'It doesn't mean that something bad happens just means you don't know what happens.' For Musk, the transition to that event horizon is happening at speed.

'I'm confident that if AI and robotics continue to advance, which they are advancing very rapidly... working will be optional and people will have any goods and services that they want,' he added.

How Fast Will Automation Advance?

Musk forecast that within the next ten to twenty years, extremely advanced AI programs and automated machines will manufacture products and deliver services so affordably and effectively that the concept of shortage loses its significance.

Referencing previous comments, which were summarised in a post by X user Brian Roemmele, he singled out firms like Google, which established large AI fundamentals, and Nvidia, whose processors drive much of current AI technology, as the businesses likely to command economic significance in this emerging environment—along with automation and space exploration.

When AI Focus Shifts Beyond Humanity

In the video, Musk depicted abundance using almost unbelievable phrasing. 'If you can think of it, you can have it,' he said. However, he also proposed that the advancement of AI will ultimately exceed human needs.

He argued that, at a particular stage, AI programs might 'saturate on anything humans can think of,' compelling robots and intelligent systems to generate creations mainly for their own use, as they 'run out of things to do to make the humans happy.'

'There's a limit,' Musk said. 'People can only eat so much food or, you know... but it's going to be, I think, if you can think of it, you can have it will be the future.'

Kamath also raised the issue of human ambition, proposing that even with guaranteed high earnings, people might still desire greater prosperity, because 'enough is not enough.'

Musk acknowledged this point remains unclear, given that humanity is moving towards what he referred to as a technological 'singularity,' a moment where forecasting future outcomes becomes impossible.

Policy and the Question of Adaptation

While Musk outlined a scenario featuring ample resources, voluntary employment, and technical independence, he recognised the difficulty of predicting what will happen beyond the AI 'event horizon.'

His statements also highlight a broader discussion about how communities adapt to rapid advances in automation—and whether government leaders are ready for the shift.

For now, his message is both hopeful and cautionary: AI could provide unmatched material prosperity, yet people will still be responsible for choosing how to utilise this bounty.