Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, believes that artificial intelligence (AI) will eventually eliminate all jobs and that this is not necessarily a bad thing, as reported by CNN.
"Probably none of us will have a job," Musk remarked on Thursday while speaking at a startup and tech event in Paris.
During his webcam speech at Viva Tech, Elon Musk hinted at a future in which jobs would become "optional."
He said, "If you want to do a job that's kinda like a hobby, you can do a job." Musk added, "But otherwise, AI and the robots will provide any goods and services that you want."
Musk emphasized that a "universal high income", which should not be confused with a universal basic income, would be necessary for this scenario to succeed, but he did not go into great detail about this idea.
The term "universal basic income" (UBI) describes how the government pays everyone a set amount of money, irrespective of their income.
Musk declared, "There would be no shortage of goods or services." He emphasized that over the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities have advanced so quickly that users, businesses, and regulators are still figuring out how to use the technology responsibly.
Musk has previously voiced his worries regarding AI. In his Thursday keynote address, he said that his greatest fear is technology. He cited Ian Banks' "Culture Book Series," which is a utopian fictionalized portrayal of a society ruled by cutting-edge technology, as "the best envisioning of a future AI" and the most realistic.
Musk questioned whether a world without jobs would allow people to experience emotional fulfilment.
"The question will really be one of meaning - if the computer and robots can do everything better than you, does your life have meaning?" Musk said. He added, "I do think there's perhaps still a role for humans in this - in that we may give AI meaning."
Additionally, he counselled parents to supervise and restrict their kids' use of social media, claiming that these platforms "are being programmed by a dopamine-maximizing AI."
Industry insiders are always voicing concerns about how the increasing prevalence of AI in the market will impact different industries and jobs.
According to CNN, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab researchers discovered in January that workplace adoption of AI is happening more slowly than some had anticipated and worried. The report also mentioned how many jobs that had previously been deemed AI-vulnerable were not at the time economically advantageous for employers to automate.
Most experts agree that there won't be a need to replace many positions requiring strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, like those in mental health, the arts, and education.
