Billionaire Elon Musk predicts the number of humanoid robots will outnumber humans by 2040

In a highly anticipated event, billionaire Elon Musk appeared live on a big screen at the King Abdulaziz International Convention Center, one of the most luxurious event venues in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

As the centerpiece of the panel, Musk engaged in a lively, one-on-one conversation with Dr. Peter Diamandis, one of America’s leading futurists and prominent entrepreneurs. The conversation focused on hot topics such as the future of technology, space exploration, and the challenges facing humanity.

The conversation quickly became heated when Dr. Diamandis questioned Musk’s stance on recent warnings about the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI). Specifically, he asked whether Musk still shared the “80/20” view of Geoffrey Hinton, one of the “fathers” of AI, that AI has the potential to pose a serious threat to humanity.

Musk has admitted that he used to be very concerned about the dangerous potential of AI, but recently his views have changed somewhat. According to Musk, the possibility of AI bringing positive impacts to humanity is very large, estimated at 80-90%, while the risk is only about 10-20%.

Musk said he believes AI capabilities are increasing at a rate of 100x per year and predicted that even in four years, the world can expect AI to be 10,000 times better than it is today.

The Tesla and SpaceX founder further noted that he thinks AI “will be able to do anything a human can do within the next year or two,” and that by 2028, AI will be able to “do what all humans can do” with a total population of 8 billion people.

Musk believes that if we develop AI correctly, human life will become extremely convenient. Everyone will have access to all the products and services they need, and the prices will be surprisingly cheap.

The number of humanoid robots will outnumber humans by 2040

Changing the subject, Musk predicted that by 2040, the number of humanoid robots could surpass the world's population. He believes that in the near future, robots will become an indispensable part of everyday life, even replacing humans in many fields.

"In 25 years, there will be at least 10 billion humanoid robots in the world. This is an unprecedented "super product" in history and Tesla will be the pioneer in this robot revolution," Elon Musk shared.

Musk is confident that these humanoid robots will soon be commercialized at an extremely attractive price, only about 20,000 to 25,000 USD. He said that at this price, anyone can own a multi-purpose "helper" capable of performing many different tasks.

Tesla's Optimus Prime robot will begin limited production next year and then go into mass production in 2026, he said.

When asked what he worries most about the future, Musk admitted that AI is a "significant existential threat," but he also believes that the most significant threat facing humanity "is global population decline and declining birth rates."

“That’s the biggest problem that nations need to solve. If you don’t create humans, there’s no humanity. And all the policies in the world don’t matter,” Musk said.

Warning about the potential risks of AI

To prevent the potential negative consequences of AI, Musk has proposed a bold solution: develop a special type of AI that is extremely capable of finding the truth. He is working on this ambitious project through his startup xAI.

Musk has warned about the potential risks of AI. He said that while many people believe that AI will be developed safely, this is not the case. Instead, current AI models are being trained to follow certain views, which can lead to unintended consequences.

Musk said that AI models in Silicon Valley have been deeply influenced by the ideology of their creators. He described this as a phenomenon of 'woke and void', referring to how AI has absorbed the region's rather unique philosophical and social views.

“Building an AI model that loves humanity, that's why I created xAI. An AI that aspires to love humanity and seeks the best interests of humanity in the future,” he said.

Musk predicts that in the future, every country will have its own AI system. However, he also admits that current AI technology is still very complex and requires high-level technical skills. Therefore, only a few companies in the world are capable of developing and operating these advanced AI models.

Elon Musk's Mission to Mars

While expressing concerns about AI, Musk is extremely optimistic about the future of SpaceX, which he plans to make a historic move by sending a spacecraft to Mars in just a few years.

“We will send the first unmanned spacecraft to Mars and if successful, we will send humans there about two years later,” he said.

Musk believes that the biggest obstacle facing tech companies today is overly restrictive regulations. He likens it to, 'Getting permits is so complicated that it takes longer than launching a rocket into space.'

He warned that if overregulation continues, every major project, including sending humans to Mars, will be delayed or even made impossible. He said the delays and complications caused by excessive regulation will stifle innovation.

Moving towards fully autonomous cars without steering wheels

At the launch event of the Cybercab self-driving car, Elon Musk made a big step forward when he announced that the fully autonomous feature was ready to be integrated into this car. He shared that with this advanced technology, the Cybercab will not only be a means of transportation but also an important step towards the future of autonomous transportation.

Accordingly, Tesla will officially launch a completely driverless taxi service in the US by the middle of next year. This project will start in the state of California, the US's technology innovation center, and then expand to Texas.

Tesla's self-driving cars will "surpass human safety levels next year, just a software update is needed," he said, adding that production of the Cybercab "without a steering wheel or pedals" is expected to begin by the end of 2026.

“And they will get where they want to go 10 times safer than human-driven cars. This will save over 1 million human lives every year,” Musk said.

Tesla's CEO said he plans to put 9.5 million of these cars on the road next year, with an ultimate goal of 100 million.

The discussion revealed a promising future for Tesla. Specifically, experts predicted that the deployment of self-driving taxi services would significantly increase the company's value, reaching the $5 trillion mark. Even when the humanoid robot Optimus Prime is commercialized, this number could increase fivefold, up to $25 trillion, affirming Tesla's position as a leading technology empire in the world.

Musk painted a surprising picture of the future when he asked, "Does money still matter in a world where everything can be automated?" He envisioned a post-capitalist society where traditional values ​​could be completely changed.

“On the positive side of moving toward a prosperous society, the most likely outcome would not be universal basic income, but universal high income,” he said.