Elon Musk believes his humanoid robot, Optimus, could change everything about how the world works – literally. Speaking at a recent Tesla shareholder meeting, the billionaire said the robot will not just replace most jobs but also create what he calls “sustainable abundance,” where universal income becomes a reality and working for money is optional.
“Optimus will actually eliminate poverty,” Musk told investors, describing a future where robots take over labor and humans live off the economic output. He even suggested that Optimus could play a role in transforming the criminal justice system by preventing crime instead of punishing it through incarceration.
Musk claims the impact on the global economy could be massive, predicting that humanoid robots could increase total output by a factor of ten or even one hundred. The idea is simple: if every person could effectively have a robotic worker producing value 24 hours a day, wealth would scale far beyond today’s limits.
Still, the robot is not ready for mass production. Tesla has only showcased early prototypes, including viral demonstrations of Optimus performing simple tasks like handing out candy on Halloween or practicing kung fu alongside actor Jared Leto. Musk has admitted that the robot’s hands remain one of the most difficult components to perfect, but he remains confident that the company will overcome these challenges soon.
He envisions Optimus as a worker that can outperform humans five times over, operating nonstop without rest or pay. Musk argues this could lead to a post-scarcity economy, where abundance is generated sustainably through machines rather than human labor. “It’s a future of plenty,” he said, “where robots handle the work and people enjoy the rewards.”
The Tesla CEO even half-jokingly described this as a “capitalist-driven communist utopia,” powered by AI and robotics. In his view, automation will not destroy capitalism but evolve it into something that delivers wealth to everyone, rather than just a few.
However, Musk also acknowledged that the shift will not come without turbulence. He warned that the global labor market and social systems will need to adapt quickly to prevent economic chaos as automation scales up.
Tesla is still finalizing Optimus’s design, with mass production expected to begin within the next few years. Musk has suggested that once manufacturing is scaled, each robot could sell for between $20,000 and $30,000 – roughly the price of a new car.
Whether this future will be utopia or upheaval remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Musk is betting that Optimus will be his most important creation yet.