Elon Musk predicts universal income as humanoid robots become commonplace

Elon Musk, whose net worth rose by roughly $300 billion this year, told state-owned China Media Group that the rise of artificial intelligence and humanoid robots could usher in an era of universal high income, making money less significant. He envisions a world where robots handle tasks from childcare to elder care, operating nonstop and producing more goods than humans can consume, with a target of one billion units within the next decade.

This outlook ties directly to Tesla’s Optimus project, a key component of his $1 trillion pay package that aims to deliver a million robots. Musk urged Generation Z to avoid early specialization and instead acquire a broad education spanning arts, sciences, and engineering to master "prompt engineering" for future robot interactions. He highlighted that clear communication will be essential as AI becomes more capable. Similar sentiments were voiced by Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark and Microsoft chief scientist Jaime Teevan, who both stressed the growing value of interdisciplinary skills in an AI-driven workplace.