Elon Musk says the traditional value of a college education could fade as artificial intelligence advances so quickly that many human skills simply will not be needed anymore.
Speaking with entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath on his podcast, Musk argued that higher education still has social benefits, but questioned whether it makes sense to attend college purely to gain job skills in a world increasingly dominated by AI and robotics.
“I don’t think you have to go to college,” Musk said, suggesting that society may be heading toward what he called a “post work” future. In that scenario, machines would handle much of the labor humans currently train years to perform.
Musk’s view is not that learning is pointless, but that the motivation may change. He encouraged people who do attend college to study broadly and pursue subjects out of curiosity or passion rather than as strict career preparation. Arts, sciences, and general knowledge, he said, could still be valuable for personal growth.
The bigger disruption, he warned, is coming fast. Musk described AI and robotics as a “supersonic tsunami,” predicting it could represent the most radical technological shift humanity has ever seen. As tools become capable of writing code, analyzing data, designing products, and even creating content on their own, many white collar and entry level roles could shrink or disappear.
His concerns echo other tech leaders. Dario Amodei of Anthropic has warned that AI could displace a large share of entry level office jobs within a few years. Bill Gates, co founder of Microsoft, has also said machines may eventually handle “most things” people do today.
For Musk, whose companies like Tesla are investing heavily in automation and robotics, the shift is already visible. Factories increasingly rely on software and autonomous systems rather than human labor, a trend he expects to accelerate.
Still, he cautioned that AI’s rise is not guaranteed to be positive. He warned that forcing AI systems to accept false information or propaganda could make them behave unpredictably or dangerously. In his view, safer systems must be built around truth seeking and rational decision making.
Whether or not college becomes optional, Musk’s message is clear. The rules of education and work are changing quickly, and the skills that matter today may not be the ones that matter tomorrow.