Elon Musk tells Rishi Sunak AI will bring a time when 'no job is needed'
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk sat down for an 'in-conversation' to mark the conclusion of the AI safety summit
Elon Musk said artificial intelligence (AI) technology could bring a future where paid work is redundant, in a conversation with Rishi Sunak to close the government’s AI safety summit.
The tech billionaire was questioned by the prime minister - after the two-day event at Bletchley Park - about his stance on the technology’s impact on the workplace.
Mr Musk said: “There will come a point where no job is needed.”
He said AI is like “a magic genie” that gives you any wishes that you want, but quipped that those fairytales rarely end well.
“One of the future challenges is how do you find meaning in life?” he said.
The future with AI will be an “age of abundance,” with a “universal high income” instead of a universal basic income, the X owner said.
During a 50-minute-long interview, Mr Musk also stressed the need of having an off-switch for humanoid robots that can chase you up the stairs.
ITV News' Robert Peston reports on the final day of the AI safety summit, which welcomed world leaders to Bletchley Park
“A humanoid robot can basically chase you anywhere,” the tech entrepreneur said in the talk, which was not broadcast live but was streamed on his social media site X later.
“It’s something we should be quite concerned about. If a robot can follow you anywhere, what if they get a software update one day, and they’re not so friendly any more?”
The prime minister said “we’ve all watched” movies about robots that end with the machines being switched off.
Mr Musk also said the UK “is in a strong position” on developing robots, praising Dyson in particular.
He spoke of the technology’s potential to provide “companionship”, saying it could “know you better than anyone, perhaps even yourself”.
“You will actually have a great friend,” he said, adding that one of his sons has “some learning disabilities and has trouble making friends” and “an AI friend would actually be great for him”.
Other topics of conversation included Mr Sunak's controversial decision to invite China to his AI summit, which the tech boss supported saying “if they’re not participants, it’s pointless”.
He also appeared to back the UK’s approach to AI regulation, using a sporting analogy: “If you look at any sports game, there’s always a referee.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.