While speaking remotely via webcam at VivaTech 2024 in Paris, Musk described a future where jobs would be “optional.”
“If you want to do a job that’s kinda like a hobby, you can do a job,” Musk said. “But otherwise, AI and the robots will provide any goods and services that you want.”
For this scenario to work, he said, there would need to be “universal high income” – not to be confused with universal basic income, although he did not share what that could look like. (UBI refers to the government giving a certain amount of money to everyone regardless of how much they earn.)
AI capabilities have surged over the past few years, fast enough that regulators, companies and consumers are still figuring out how to use the technology responsibly. Concerns also continue to mount over how various industries and jobs will change as AI proliferates in the market.