‘It will be like a hobby, pretty much’: Psychologist reflects on Elon Musk’s prediction of a job-free future for the world due to ‘advancements in AI and robotics’

For many people, the idea of work becoming optional raises excitement, curiosity, and understandable anxiety. What happens to financial stability, identity, purpose, and the structure of daily life if employment shifts from being essential to being a choice? 

Psychological and social adjustments individuals would need to make when employment is no longer the primary source of identity, structure, and purpose

According to Gurleen Baruah, existential analyst and organisational psychologist at That Culture Thing, “Elon Musk speaks from a very privileged, first-world lens: huge capital, access, and security. Even if some people may reach a point where work becomes optional, it won’t be the same for everyone. But imagining this future, the biggest shift will be psychological. Today, work gives people identity, structure, and belonging. If that disappears, people will have to build these things from within — through relationships, values, community, hobbies, creativity, and service.”

JUST IN: Elon Musk says working will be ‘optional’ in less than 20 years because of AI and robotics. pic.twitter.com/l3S5kl5HBB

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“A world where work isn’t central would require stronger mental health awareness, deeper social connections, and more community spaces that give people purpose outside productivity,” she states. 

Financial systems or safety nets are necessary to support a population that may no longer rely on traditional jobs for income

“This scenario is still far off and unlikely to unfold evenly across countries. But if it did happen, people would need financial systems that guarantee basic stability without relying on employment,” Baruah tells indianexpress.com. She says that this could include:

• Universal Basic Income (UBI) so every person has a baseline to survive.
• Universal basic services like healthcare, education, public transport, housing support, and food security, so the cost of living drops.
• Public or citizen-owned AI funds, where profits from large-scale automation are shared with the population.
• Government-backed protections ensuring that extreme wealth created by AI doesn’t sit with only a few corporations or individuals.

Without safety nets like these, Baruah believes that such a future would collapse long before it begins.

Steps to ensure that the benefits of advancing AI and robotics are shared fairly and don’t leave certain groups behind

Inequality is already massive globally, Baruah stresses, and if we don’t intervene, an AI-driven world will deepen it. Those who already have resources will benefit the most, while others may be left behind. She adds that governments, educators, and communities can act now by:

1. Investing in education that teaches digital and AI literacy from a young age.
2. Ensuring universal access to technology, not just for wealthy cities or countries.
3. Progressive taxation on automation-driven wealth to redistribute gains fairly.
4. Community innovation spaces (maker labs, digital learning hubs) so everyone can experiment with and understand new tools.