Elon Musk says advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid robotics can drive an economic boom unlike anything seen before, as long as energy constraints are addressed.
During a wide-ranging discussion with BlackRock Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink, Musk said “if you have ubiquitous AI that is essentially free or close to it and ubiquitous robotics,” Musk said, “you will have an explosion in the global economy that is truly beyond all precedent.”
Musk argued that humanoid robots could fundamentally reshape productivity, suggesting that economic output in the future could be measured by the average productivity of a robot multiplied by the number of robots deployed. Robots, he said, could perform industrial work, support families, and care for ageing populations, easing labour shortages while lowering costs across the economy.
The billionaire entrepreneur framed his companies’ work around a broader objective. “They’re all very difficult technology challenges,” he said. “But the overall goal of my companies is to maximize the probability that civilization has a great future.”
Tesla’s role, Musk said, is centred on sustainable energy, while his work on AI and robotics represents a “pathway to abundance” that could raise living standards globally and potentially eliminate poverty.
The rapid pace of AI development, however, is constrained by electricity supply. Musk warned that energy, rather than computing power, is becoming the bottleneck. “We’re very soon going to be producing more chips than we can turn on,” he said.
Solar power will be central to meeting future demand, according to Musk. “Roughly 100 miles by 100 miles of solar is enough to power the entire United States,” he said, pointing to China’s rapid expansion of solar and nuclear capacity in contrast with tariff barriers in the US and Europe.
Musk said Tesla and SpaceX are independently working to build up to 100 gigawatts a year of solar manufacturing capacity in the US, as electrification struggles to keep pace with AI-driven demand.
Despite risks associated with AI, Musk struck an optimistic tone. “We are in the most interesting time in history,” he said.
