Elon Musk: AI could surpass human intelligence within 5 years, and the importance of currency may decline in 10 years.

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk told *The Economist* in a 90-minute interview that artificial intelligence (AI) could surpass human intelligence within the next five years, and predicted that AI and robots would push the world into an "era of high prosperity" in roughly a decade. Musk argued that once AI systems and robots have sufficiently advanced digital intelligence and production capacity, the global economy could approach a state of "infinite supply", making human work no longer a necessity for survival and gradually reducing the importance of currency. He noted that with enough robots in the future, society would have a "quasi-infinite economy" where AI can produce more goods and services than humanity can consume. He even predicted that by around 2036, the traditional monetary system would likely see its importance decline significantly. On future economic operation models, Musk said governments may maintain social function by distributing funds directly to the public, adding that AI-driven productivity gains could lead to deflation rather than inflation. However, Musk acknowledged that issues including corporate profit models, government fiscal sources, and social transformation mean the AI era’s economic structure could differ drastically from traditional economic laws. Additionally, Musk discussed the integration of AI and space development, stating that future AI computing could be supported by space-deployed data centers, and reiterating his long-term plan for human exploration of Mars. During the interview, Musk also reflected on his prior involvement with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He admitted to investing too much energy in politics, saying he "got sidetracked" in some areas, and noted that if given the choice again, he would likely devote more time to his own companies.