Nikhil Kamath and Elon Musk from WTF podcast. (Screengrab/Youtube/ Nikhil Kamath)
Elon Musk has said rapid advances in artificial intelligence and robotics could make work optional within the next two decades. He made the comments during a conversation with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath on the People by WTF podcast released on Sunday.
“Working will be optional”
Musk said people may not need to work for a living once AI systems and machines can produce most goods and services.
“My prediction is that, in the future, working will be optional,” he said. “People can play this back in 20 years and say it was wrong, but I think it will be correct. In less than 20 years maybe even 10 or 15 advances in AI and robotics will bring us to a point where working is optional.”
He added that the idea applied to almost all forms of work and production.
Musk said future technology could make goods easily available. “I’m confident that if AI and robotics continue to advance and they are advancing very fast working will be optional, and people will have any goods and services they want,” he said. “If you can think of it, you can have it.”
Meanwhile, Musk compared this future to the choice between growing vegetables at home or buying them.
“In the same way that you can grow your own vegetables or go to a shop and buy them, it’s much harder to grow your own,” he said. “Some people enjoy it, which is fine. But it is optional that is how I see work in the future.”
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Nikhil Kamath and Elon Musk from WTF podcast. (Screengrab/Youtube/ Nikhil Kamath)
