Elon Musk's Bold Prediction: AI to Make Poverty 'Statistically Irrelevant'
In a groundbreaking statement that has ignited intense social media debate, tech billionaire Elon Musk has declared that artificial intelligence will effectively eliminate poverty within the next two decades. The xAI chief made these bold predictions during his appearance at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, where US President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Paytm CEO Backs Musk's AI Vision
Adding significant weight to Musk's claims, Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma publicly endorsed the Tesla founder's vision. Sharma quoted one of Musk's posts on X, simply stating: 'AI for poverty elimination!' This endorsement from one of India's most prominent tech entrepreneurs has amplified the discussion around AI's potential social impact.
At the Washington forum, Musk presented a futuristic vision where AI and humanoid robots would revolutionize society. 'I see poverty as more of an engineering problem than an unsolvable social issue,' Musk declared. 'With Grok and Optimus, we could solve the labor shortage, drive costs to near zero, and create a future where poverty is statistically irrelevant.'
The Future Where Work Becomes Optional
Musk elaborated on his radical vision, predicting that traditional concepts of employment and currency would undergo fundamental transformation. 'Currency becomes irrelevant,' he stated confidently. 'There will still be constraints like electricity and mass, but money will stop being relevant.'
The tech visionary outlined a timeline for this transformation, suggesting it would materialize within 10 to 20 years. 'My prediction is that work will be optional,' Musk said, comparing future employment to hobbies like growing vegetables in one's backyard. 'It will be like playing sports or a video game.'
Musk emphasized that with robots handling the bulk of labor, people would pursue work based on passion rather than financial necessity. 'If you want to work in the same way, you can go to the store and just buy some vegetables, or you could grow vegetables in your backyard. It's much harder to grow vegetables in your backyard, but some people still do it because they like growing vegetables,' he explained.
Social Media Divided Over AI's Impact
The comments sparked vigorous debate across social media platforms, revealing sharply divided public opinion. One supporter commented: 'He is saying replace all corrupt minds with AI. world will heal,' reflecting optimism about AI's potential to address systemic issues.
However, others expressed skepticism about the equitable distribution of AI's benefits. 'AI will only increase the gap between poor and rich,' argued another user, highlighting concerns about technological inequality.
Musk further clarified his position on poverty, distinguishing between absolute and relative poverty. In response to an X post supporting his views, Musk reiterated: 'Poverty can and will be eliminated, but envy is eternal.' He explained that while society can solve absolute poverty through technological advancement, relative poverty represents a different challenge altogether.
The discussion around AI's societal impact continues to gain momentum, with Musk warning that 'The scale of what's coming over the next decade is really easy to underestimate.' As artificial intelligence advances at an unprecedented pace, the world watches to see whether this bold technological vision will become reality.
