Elon Musk has put forward an audacious prediction regarding Tesla’s humanoid initiative, asserting that the Optimus robot will ultimately serve as a monumental engine for economic progress and social welfare, even if its widespread adoption may render much of traditional human labor unnecessary. Although the development and mass production of these robots still represent a complex and technically demanding challenge far from commercial realization, Tesla has already revealed early prototypes engaging in public demonstrations — such as distributing candy during a Halloween event, playfully practicing martial arts with Jared Leto, and even performing choreographed dance routines on stage during the company’s recent shareholder assembly. Each of these carefully staged demonstrations served as symbolic previews of Musk’s larger ambition: to highlight the robot’s potential versatility and prepare audiences for its eventual economic and industrial integration.
However, beneath these amusing displays and early trials lies a far grander and more transformative aspiration. Musk explained that his ultimate objective is not simply to prove Tesla’s competence in robotics but to revolutionize the very structure of human economies. Speaking at the shareholder meeting, he argued that society often discusses lofty humanitarian goals—such as eradicating poverty and ensuring universal access to advanced medical care—without acknowledging the profound technological shifts necessary to make such ideals feasible. According to Musk, the Optimus robot represents the singular mechanism by which such global prosperity can be achieved. Reiterating his conviction, he went as far as to declare that Optimus would one day effectively eliminate poverty altogether.
Shortly before his remarks, the event’s atmosphere was charged with adulation as the audience erupted into chants of “Elon, Elon!” following the announcement that shareholders had approved an extraordinary $1 trillion pay package for Musk. This enormous incentive, unprecedented in scale, is conditional upon Tesla achieving several ambitious milestones—including the sale of one million Optimus units within the next decade. Should these targets be met, Musk, already recognized as the world’s richest individual, would gain access to a staggering tranche of company shares, underscoring both Tesla’s high expectations and Wall Street’s willingness to gamble on his vision of a robotics-driven economy.
Extending the robot’s potential beyond industry and wealth creation, Musk also suggested that Optimus could reshape various aspects of civic life. He offered a striking illustration, proposing that instead of traditional incarceration, an Optimus unit might one day serve as a mobile guardian, accompanying former offenders and intervening to prevent future crimes—essentially redefining how societies manage justice and rehabilitation. Moving from bold social hypotheticals to macroeconomics, he predicted that these humanoid systems could expand the total global output by a factor of ten, or possibly even one hundred, as automation accelerates productivity on an unprecedented scale.
During Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call, Musk elaborated on this vision under the broader concept of a “sustainable abundance,” a term drawn from Tesla’s Master Plan, Part IV. In this envisioned future, Optimus robots would enable continuous production by operating around the clock, free from fatigue or human time constraints. Musk estimated that a single Optimus unit could achieve productivity levels roughly five times that of an individual worker, underscoring the near-limitless capacity for embodied artificial intelligence. As Musk articulated, there is a ceiling to how much disembodied AI can enhance human labor, but the same limitation does not apply to physical, embodied AI that directly performs tasks.
He reiterated this synergy between artificial intelligence, automation, and macroeconomic transformation during a subsequent discussion with podcaster Joe Rogan. Musk argued that the looming national and global debt crises, which threaten the financial stability of modern economies, could only realistically be averted through large-scale adoption of AI and robotics. In his view, these technologies represent not merely an industrial upgrade but a structural solution to impending fiscal collapse.
In this prospective world shaped by intelligent machines, Musk painted a scenario in which traditional work becomes a matter of personal choice rather than necessity. He characterized this future as one of “universal high income,” a benign state in which material abundance ensures that everyone can access the goods and services they desire. However, he cautioned that the transition toward such abundance would not be smooth; it would involve significant disruption and societal trauma as existing labor systems and economic norms are dismantled and redefined.
Interestingly, Musk is not alone in exploring the implications of such a transition. His former ally and current rival Sam Altman has already conducted a pilot program testing the idea of a universal basic income, while other prominent technology leaders—including Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar—have publicly voiced their support for similar frameworks. Musk himself described the paradox of this emerging landscape as an economic irony: the capitalist pursuit and commercialization of AI and robotics, if managed benevolently, could unexpectedly give rise to something resembling a communist utopia, where shared abundance replaces scarcity.
As for the future role of humanity in this mechanical renaissance, Musk has suggested that people might engage in work much as they might tend to a garden or grow their own vegetables—out of passion or habit rather than survival necessity. In a past statement on X, he succinctly expressed that AI and robotics will ultimately replace every job, making traditional employment optional.
Musk’s pattern of audacious pronouncements is well documented; he has openly described himself as “pathologically optimistic” and admitted to chronically underestimating timelines. Nonetheless, Tesla continues its design and refinement efforts for Optimus, wrestling with intricate engineering challenges, particularly concerning the dexterity and capability of the robot’s hands. Despite these obstacles, Musk remains confident that once mass production begins, Optimus could eventually be sold for between $20,000 and $30,000—a price point he believes would make it a transformative and accessible cornerstone of the emerging robotic economy.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-says-optimus-eliminate-poverty-2025-11
