Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that artificial intelligence (AI) will eventually eliminate all jobs, but he believes this is not necessarily a bad development, CNN has reported.
“Probably none of us will have a job,” Musk said while speaking at a startup and tech event in Paris on Thursday.
He was speaking remotely via webcam at the Viva Tech event where he predicted 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.”
Musk highlighted that for this scenario to succeed, there would need to be a “universal high income,” which should not be confused with universal basic income. The Universal basic income (UBI) refers to the government providing a certain amount of money to everyone.
“There would be no shortage of goods or services,” Musk said. He highlighted that AI capabilities have advanced rapidly over the past few years, advancing so quickly that regulators, companies, and users are still figuring out how to utilize the technology responsibly.
Further, he questioned whether people would feel emotionally fulfilled in a future without jobs. “The question will really be one of meaning – if the computer and robots can do everything better than you, does your life have meaning?” Musk said.
“I do think there’s perhaps still a role for humans in this – in that we may give AI meaning,” he added.
The Tesla CEO also advised parents to control and limit the amount of social media their children consume, saying that social media platforms “are being programmed by a dopamine-maximizing AI.”