"Working Will Be Optional": Elon Musk Predicts AI Future With Universal High Income

In a striking conversation on the future of work, Elon Musk tells Nikhil Kamath that rapid advances in AI and robotics could make working entirely optional within 10–20 years. Musk argues that productivity gains will be so high that society may shift from the idea of Universal Basic Income (UBI) to Universal High Income (UHI). He adds that people may no longer need to live in crowded, polluted cities just for jobs — location will become a personal choice, not an economic necessity. But Musk also warns that startups and breakthrough companies will still demand intense effort and long hours from founders. For everyone else, he predicts a future where work becomes more of a hobby than a necessity.