'Just 1 millionth of the Sun's power': Musk's staggering prediction for AI

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday outlined an expansive vision for the future of artificial intelligence, arguing that harnessing even a tiny fraction of the Sun's energy could create intelligence far beyond that of humanity.

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"It is humbling to consider that if we harness just 1 millionth of the Sun's power for AI, that will be much more than a million times the intelligence of all of humanity," Musk wrote on X.

The post prompted questions about how such vast amounts of energy could be captured and deployed.

Responding to a query from technology commentator James Stephenson on whether Earth-orbiting solar infrastructure would be sufficient, Musk suggested that achieving such a scale would require industrial capabilities beyond the planet.

"It would require manufacturing solar panels & radiators on the Moon and launching them into deep space with a mass driver," Musk said.

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He also suggested that an economy built around such levels of energy production would fundamentally alter the role of money.

"Well before that, conventional money will no longer be relevant. Mass & energy will take the place of dollars," he wrote.

Musk did not elaborate on a timeline for such developments, but his comments reflect a long-held view that advances in artificial intelligence will eventually require access to enormous amounts of energy and computing power.

The remarks come as technology companies race to build increasingly powerful AI systems, driving demand for electricity, data centres and advanced computing infrastructure around the world.