Elon Musk, the influential entrepreneur behind companies like SpaceX and Tesla, forecasts that advanced artificial intelligence and robotics will soon make human jobs no longer necessary. Speaking at the recent VivaTech conference, Musk shared his vision of a future where AI and automation handle the bulk of goods and services production.
According to Musk, as AI and robotics continue to progress, individuals will have the choice to work merely as a “hobby” rather than out of requirement. He believes AI and robot systems will be capable of satisfying people's wants through tailored production and distribution of products. The tech pioneer pointed to personalized, patient education by AI as another area where robotics and computing could displace human labor.
During his address, Musk reiterated past warnings about ensuring AI is truth-seeking and beneficial. He stressed the need for AI systems to prioritize accuracy over political biases. The entrepreneur also provided updates on Neuralink, his startup developing brain-computer interface technology. Musk showed potential for Neuralink devices to assist those with injuries or restore lost senses like vision. He hopes the system's high-bandwidth brain linkups could help manage risks from advanced AI.
Musk remains optimistic about colonizing Mars to safeguard humanity's long term survival as well. He projects an uncrewed Mars landing within five years and crewed missions beginning seven to eight years from now. Overall, the talk highlighted both Musk's drive to promote useful tech progress and ongoing concerns with automation's societal effects.
