Elon Musk has lost sleep over many things in his career. Lately, he says, one thing stands out: AI.
The tech titan, who is simultaneously building some of the world’s most advanced AI, recently revealed a surprising personal truth: AI is haunting his sleep. In an interview, the CEO stated he has been having “AI nightmares many days in a row,” suggesting a deep-seated anxiety about the very technology he is racing to create.
The confession came during a discussion on The Katie Miller Podcast, where Musk, who co-founded OpenAI and is now spearheading rival firm xAI, opened up about his vision of an AI-driven future, which he admits is advancing faster than he would prefer.
Work will be ‘optional’ — but not by choice
Musk reiterated his long-held belief that the current acceleration in AI and robotics will fundamentally alter society and the global economy.
“Assuming the current trend of artificial intelligence and robotics continues, which seems likely,” Musk said, “the AI and robots will be able to do anything that humans want them to do,” providing “all the goods and services that anyone could possibly want.” This leads to a future where, for humanity, “work will be optional.”
However, Musk was quick to separate his prediction from his personal desires. He emphasized the distinction, saying, “I just want to separate out from what I wish would happen versus what I predict will happen because people get confused about that. They think that what I predict will happen is what I want to happen.”
Musk made it clear that if he had the power, he would pump the brakes. “If I could, I would certainly slow down AI and robotics, but I can’t,” he told the podcast, explaining that the technology is advancing at a “very rapid pace — whether I like it or not.”
When waking fears turn into sleeping dread
When later asked about irrational fears, Musk presented a stoic front, explaining, “I try not to have irrational fears. If I find an irrational fear, I squelch it… I don’t believe fear is — fear is the mind killer.”
Still, his comments suggest that even one of the world’s most influential tech leaders feels uneasy about where AI is headed and how fast it is getting there.
Musk’s concerns are notable because he is deeply involved in the AI race. He is building the Grok chatbot via xAI to be a “maximum truth-seeking” alternative to existing models. He continues to develop Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system and the Optimus humanoid robot.
Also read: Elon Musk says AI and robots will tackle America’s debt in three years or less.