Elon Musk's high-tech plan to end poverty: Robots do the jobs, humans get the benefits

Elon Musk is outlining a future in which work, as we know it, may no longer exist. Speaking at Tesla’s recent shareholder meeting, where investors approved his potential $1 trillion compensation package, Musk said the company’s humanoid robot, Optimus, could eventually eliminate poverty by taking over large portions of human labour.

In this vision, robots perform the work, while people receive what Musk calls a “universal high income” and the freedom to choose how they live.

Elon Musk’s new economic model of automation

According to Musk, Optimus is not simply a factory assistant or a demonstration of engineering progress. He described the robot as the foundation of a future system of “sustainable abundance,” where goods and services are produced continuously without human effort. Because the robots can operate around the clock, Musk argues they could multiply global productivity by ten times or more, creating a surplus large enough to support every person’s needs.Musk said there is a limit to how much AI software can improve human productivity, but far less of a limit when AI is embodied in machines capable of physical labour. In this scenario, work becomes optional, similar to a hobby or personal choice.

Shareholders back Musk’s ambitious shift

The announcement came moments after Tesla shareholders approved Musk’s pay package, which ties his compensation to some of the most aggressive performance targets in corporate history.

One of those targets includes selling one million Optimus units over the next decade, effectively transforming Tesla from an electric vehicle manufacturer into a robotics company operating at global industrial scale.Supporters say this marks the beginning of a long-planned transition, aligning with Tesla’s broader mission statements over the past several years.

Criticism and ethical concerns

However, Musk’s claims have drawn significant criticism.

Economists, labour advocates and technologists argue that fully replacing human labour with robots is neither straightforward nor without social risk. They note that automation has historically widened economic inequality, concentrating wealth among those who own the machines. Skeptics question whether a “universal high income” would actually be enacted, who would fund it, and which governments would regulate such a system. Critics also point out that Optimus remains in early development, with current prototypes capable only of basic tasks, far from the full autonomy Musk predicts. Some warn that announcing a future without work may create instability long before any safety net exists.

Life in a robot-assisted society

Despite the uncertainty, Musk continues to describe a world where people are free to pursue creativity, learning and leisure rather than economic survival.

He even suggested that Optimus could reshape areas of criminal justice, proposing a scenario in which robots could monitor individuals instead of incarcerating them.For now, the robotic future Musk imagines remains largely theoretical. Optimus still needs to demonstrate reliable, adaptive performance in real environments, and society must decide how to respond to a world where labour is optional.