The conversation about the future of employment has gained momentum internationally, especially now that Artificial Intelligence is advancing at an unprecedented pace. In this scenario, the voice of Elon Musk emerged once again, a figure accustomed to generating headlines with his bold and, at times, controversial predictions.

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During an investment forum that brought together representatives from Saudi Arabia and the United States, Musk didn't limit himself to talking about technology: he offered a profound reflection on how humanity will work—or not work—in the coming decades.

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The entrepreneur, known worldwide for his role at the helm of Tesla and for transforming Twitter into the X platform, stated that society is heading towards a model in which work will be a personal choice and not an economic obligation.

The premise, according to him, is linked to the growth of automation and the accelerated development of systems capable of replacing human tasks with precision and autonomy.

In that global context, with With Donald Trump as the current president of the United States, Musk's words carry even more weight. His interventions often divide opinions, but they also raise debates that touch on the very foundation of how future economies will function.

Work as an option, not a necessity

During his speech, Musk explored an idea he considers inevitable if technology continues to advance. In his own words: “I don’t know what the long term is, maybe 10, 20 years or something like that. My prediction is that work will be optional. It will be like playing sports, playing video games, or something like that. If you want to work, you can go to the store and buy vegetables, or grow them in your garden. It’s much harder to grow vegetables in your garden, but some people still do it because they enjoy growing them.”

His vision suggests a world where the production of goods and services is almost completely automated, allowing people to work only if they choose to. He himself qualified his vision by noting that this is not an immediate change: “This is what work will be like. It’s optional,” he pointed out, although he acknowledged that “a lot of work will be needed to get to that point.”

A world where money loses importance

Beyond work, Musk also reflected on the role of money in a highly automated society. For him, if AI and robotics evolve rapidly enough, the economy will face such a drastic transformation that money could cease to have the relevance it has today. He expressed it this way: “I suppose that, if we wait long enough, assuming there is continued improvement in AI and robotics, which seems likely, money will cease to be relevant at some point in the future. There will still be limitations on power, electricity, and mass. The fundamental elements of physics will still be limitations. But I think that, at some point, currency will become irrelevant.” His vision, although futuristic, points to a system where the abundance created by autonomous machines reduces the need to exchange goods through traditional currency. Humanoid Robotics and AI as Engines of Change: One of the most striking points of his presentation was the emphasis on humanoid robotics. Musk is convinced that this technology will be the most influential in modern history, even more so than smartphones. According to him, humanoid robots will be as common as any household appliance: It will be “the biggest industry or the biggest product in history, bigger than cell phones or anything else, because everyone will want one.” Furthermore, Musk reiterated his conviction that AI and robotics will not only disrupt the job market but could also eradicate global poverty: “AI and humanoid robots will actually eliminate poverty. Basically, there’s only one way to make everyone rich, and that’s through AI and robotics.” For the Tesla CEO, his company is already paving the way by developing robots like Optimus and AI systems that train for autonomous driving. Even so, he acknowledged that they won't be alone in this race: “There will be many other companies making humanoid robots,” he concluded.

A world where money loses importance

Beyond work, Musk also reflected on the role of money in a highly automated society. For him, if AI and robotics evolve rapidly enough, the economy will face such a drastic transformation that money could cease to have the relevance it has today. He expressed it this way: “I suppose that, if we wait long enough, assuming there is continued improvement in AI and robotics, which seems likely, money will cease to be relevant at some point in the future. There will still be limitations on power, electricity, and mass. The fundamental elements of physics will still be limitations. But I think that, at some point, currency will become irrelevant.” His vision, although futuristic, points to a system where the abundance created by autonomous machines reduces the need to exchange goods through traditional currency. Humanoid Robotics and AI as Engines of Change: One of the most striking points of his presentation was the emphasis on humanoid robotics. Musk is convinced that this technology will be the most influential in modern history, even more so than smartphones. According to him, humanoid robots will be as common as any household appliance: It will be “the biggest industry or the biggest product in history, bigger than cell phones or anything else, because everyone will want one.” Furthermore, Musk reiterated his conviction that AI and robotics will not only disrupt the job market but could also eradicate global poverty: “AI and humanoid robots will actually eliminate poverty. Basically, there’s only one way to make everyone rich, and that’s through AI and robotics.” For the Tesla CEO, his company is already paving the way by developing robots like Optimus and AI systems that train for autonomous driving. Even so, he acknowledged that they won't be alone in this race: “There will be many other companies making humanoid robots,” he concluded.

A world where money loses importance

Beyond work, Musk also reflected on the role of money in a highly automated society. For him, if AI and robotics evolve rapidly enough, the economy will face such a drastic transformation that money could cease to have the relevance it has today. He expressed it this way: “I suppose that, if we wait long enough, assuming there is continued improvement in AI and robotics, which seems likely, money will cease to be relevant at some point in the future. There will still be limitations on power, electricity, and mass. The fundamental elements of physics will still be limitations. But I think that, at some point, currency will become irrelevant.” His vision, although futuristic, points to a system where the abundance created by autonomous machines reduces the need to exchange goods through traditional currency. Humanoid Robotics and AI as Engines of Change: One of the most striking points of his presentation was the emphasis on humanoid robotics. Musk is convinced that this technology will be the most influential in modern history, even more so than smartphones. According to him, humanoid robots will be as common as any household appliance: It will be “the biggest industry or the biggest product in history, bigger than cell phones or anything else, because everyone will want one.” Furthermore, Musk reiterated his conviction that AI and robotics will not only disrupt the job market but could also eradicate global poverty: “AI and humanoid robots will actually eliminate poverty. Basically, there’s only one way to make everyone rich, and that’s through AI and robotics.” For the Tesla CEO, his company is already paving the way by developing robots like Optimus and AI systems that train for autonomous driving. Even so, he acknowledged that they won't be alone in this race: “There will be many other companies making humanoid robots,” he concluded.The fundamental elements of physics will remain limitations. But I think that, at some point, currency will become irrelevant.”