With AI And Robotics, 'Work Will Be Optional'

The traditional concept of a "nine-to-five" is rapidly approaching its expiration date as AI and robotics begin to outpace human capability in nearly every measurable field.

During a deep-dive interview on the Katie Miller Podcast, billionaire serial entrepreneur Elon Musk detailed a future where the constraints of labor and the scarcity of resources are effectively eliminated by technology. He explained that "assuming the current trend of artificial intelligence and robotics continues which seems likely... AI and robots will be able to do anything that humans want them to do."

This transition suggests a shift from an economy of labor to an economy of abundance, where the machines we build become the primary engines of all goods and services.

This technological surge brings with it a radical conclusion for the average person: "work will be optional".

When Miller asks him about the future, where people will not need to worry about money or work because AI and robotics are going to take care of the rest.

And because people wouldn't need to work, they will have more free time in their hands.

While this sounds like a liberation of the human spirit, Musk was quick to clarify that his predictions are born of technical observation rather than pure optimism.

Musk suggests that the technology is advancing so fast, that in this case, he wanted to separate what he wishes would happen, versus what he predicts will happen.

And This is where Musk shows a glimpse of his fear.

In other words, Musk confessed that the rapid pace of AI is unsettling even to him.

The existential weight of this transition cannot be overstated.

Musk revealed that he has suffered from "AI nightmares many days in a row", reflecting his concerns about the loss of human agency. If robots can perform every task better than we can, the risk is not just the loss of jobs, but the loss of meaning.

Musk views this through the lens of his "simulation theory," suggesting that if we are indeed part of a grander simulation, our survival depends on our ability to remain engaging.

"We have one goal: keep it interesting," Musk remarked, adding that if things become too linear or boring, the "simulators" might simply turn off the computer.

Ultimately, the goal of Musk’s various ventures: from Tesla's robotics to SpaceX’s Starship, is to ensure that as we automate Earth, we also expand our consciousness to other worlds.

He described the effort to make life multi-planetary as one of the "top 10" events in the evolution of life, comparable to the move from oceans to land.

In his view, the automation of labor on Earth is just a precursor to the "hardcore mode" of survival on Mars.

Whether humanity uses its newfound "optional work" to pursue art, leisure, or the colonization of the solar system remains the ultimate unanswered question of the AI age.

Katie Miller worked as a spokesperson for Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency earlier in 2025, before leaving the Donald Trump administration with Musk to work for the billionaire personally.

At the same time, Musk, who is famous for fathering many children with several women, unfollowed Miller's husband Stephen on X, prompting headlines such as, "Elon Musk Unfollows Stephen Miller on X as He Takes His Wife."

This happened because previously, a fake social media screenshot started circulating showing Musk supposedly replying to Miller's husband, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, with something like "Just like I took your wife."

Musk's own AI chatbot Grok incorrectly said that screenshot "likely existed and was deleted," adding fuel to the rumor.

Musk had to publicly correct Grok for suggesting the fake news.

While Musk also briefly spoke about his AI assistant Grok, the pair kept away from discussing an awkward incident that took place on Musk’s social network X.