Tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has predicted a future where humanoid robots will become more numerous than humans, fundamentally reshaping global productivity, labour, and living standards.
Speaking in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Musk said advances in artificial intelligence and robotics would lead to a world where robots handle most forms of labour, creating an economy defined by abundance rather than scarcity.
“There will be more robots than people,” Musk said, adding that the scale of production made possible by humanoid robots would be unlike anything in human history.
According to him, economic output in such a future would be determined by the productivity of robots multiplied by their sheer numbers, rather than by human labour constraints. He explained that once robots are produced at scale, they would be able to meet virtually all human needs.
“My prediction is that we will actually make so many robots and AI that they will saturate all human needs,” Musk said. “You won’t even be able to think of something to ask the robot for at a certain point.”
Musk noted that this transformation would not be limited to industrial production but would extend into everyday life, including childcare, eldercare, and domestic work. He said many people would naturally want a personal humanoid robot, provided safety and reliability are assured.
“If you have elderly parents, a robot that could take care of and protect them would be an amazing thing to have,” he said, pointing to demographic challenges such as ageing populations and labour shortages.
While acknowledging concerns about human purpose in a world dominated by automation, Musk argued that abundance and freedom from compulsory labour would redefine how people find meaning, rather than eliminate it.
Musk expressed optimism that the rise of humanoid robots would usher in a future of shared prosperity, stressing that if managed responsibly, robotics and AI could deliver the highest standard of living humanity has ever known.
Triumph Ojo
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