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Elon Musk says ‘people will find ways to be happy’ if AI makes money and work obsolete in future
In a podcast, Elon Musk interacted with Walter Isaacson over various issues, from his DOGE regrets to how he thinks AI will shape the future.
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Elon Musk, in a recent interview with Walter Isaacson, predicted that rapid advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, and space travel will create a multiplanetary economy that will eventually render money and work irrelevant. When asked what humans could do if that happens, the SpaceX CEO said, “people will find ways to be happy”, and then went on to explain his remark.
Isaacson, on the seasonal debut episode of the "The Builders" podcast, asks Musk what humans would do when "money becomes irrelevant", and conventional currency stops working.
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“What gives us meaning? How do we organise ourselves?” Isaacson asks. Musk replies, “I mean, I do struggle with this question… I think people will find ways to be happy. In the same way people who retire seem to be really happy, even though they’re not working.”
What else did they talk about?
“Elon Musk has spent his career turning improbable ideas into companies that reshape the world. To some, the entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX is an engineering genius whose ambitions have transformed electric cars and space travel. To others, his politics and extraordinary influence raise serious questions about the future he is building. Either way, the world’s first trillionaire is betting on AI, humanoid robots and life beyond Earth,” read the caption shared along with the podcast on YouTube.
The duo spoke about the possibilities of AI and digital intelligence. They also discussed a world where humans could no longer be in charge. While discussing this particular point, Musk joked, “I hope AI is nice to us.” When Isaacson asked what humans should do now if that becomes a possibility in future, the world’s richest man answered that they should create fewer dystopian AI scenes on the internet.
Isaacson also asked Musk about DOGE regrets. They discussed why Musk believes robots will solve America’s national debt, and the dark politics that have consumed his own platform, X.
When asked if humans were in a simulation, Musk said if they were, then everyone would be a bit “less boring.” The candid conversation also highlighted Musk’s vision for the future of humankind.
Who is Walter Isaacson?
He is an American journalist, bestselling biographer, and a professor. Among his famous books are biographies of Elon Musk, Jennifer Doudna, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein.
He has been the CEO of the Aspen Institute, the CEO of CNN, and the editor of Time Magazine.
