Elon Musk is once again forecasting a dramatic reshaping of the global workforce, this time predicting that employment itself will become optional as artificial intelligence and robotics accelerate productivity. Speaking with Nikhil Kamath on the People by WTF podcast released November 30, 2025, Musk argued that rapid technological gains will make it unnecessary for people to work to support themselves, framing future employment as something people may choose to do “like a hobby.”"I think it will actually be that people don’t have to work at all. My prediction is less than 20 years. Working at all will be optional, like a hobby, pretty much."His comments echo similar remarks made weeks earlier at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum. Fortune's report on December 1, 2025, noted that Musk places the timeline at under 20 years, and possibly as soon as 10 to 15. According to Fortune, the prediction arrives amid growing public anxiety over AI-driven job displacement. It contrasts sharply with competing forecasts from business leaders who envision shorter workweeks, but not a disappearance of labor altogether.More about Elon Musk's predictions for the futureDuring his conversation with Nikhil Kamath on November 30, 2025, Elon Musk explained that he linked his prediction to the shift toward profound increases in productivity from artificial intelligence systems and robotics, arguing that basic needs and a wide array of consumer goods would be readily available without individual labor. Elon Musk compared the future of employment to gardening, something people may choose to do, but no longer rely on for survival. As he put it, growing vegetables at home is possible but unnecessary when stores provide easier access; similarly, work will become an activity people take on for personal fulfillment rather than necessity.In their report, Fortune contextualized these comments within broader trends. Technologies such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini have already automated time-consuming tasks like summarization and data cleaning. Surveys cited by the outlet suggest AI could save workers up to 12 hours per week by 2029. Elon Musk believes these incremental gains will compound into a system where labor is optional and supported by what he called a Universal High Income, a model he thinks will fund living expenses and discretionary consumption, saying"If you can think of it, you can have it"Earlier in November 2025, Elon Musk also made similar comments at the US-Saudi Investment Forum.euronews @euronewsLINKElon Musk told the US–Saudi Investment Forum that advanced AI and humanoid robots will make human work “optional” within 10–20 years, end poverty, and make money “irrelevant,” predicting a major societal shift driven by automation.While Elon Musk sees a future where work disappears, other influential executives foresee a different trajectory. As Fortune noted, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates has predicted a two-day workweek within a decade, driven by extensive automation.Zoom CEO Eric Yuan has suggested a three-day workweek is coming, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who recently shared a stage with Musk at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum in November 2025, argued that AI will “probably” lead to four-day workweeks, though not necessarily less work. Huang also said that increased productivity often generates new ideas and ambitions, meaning people may ultimately stay busy even as tasks become easier.Elon Musk, by contrast, is positioning his forecast at the far end of the spectrum: a society where automation is so capable that labor is no longer required in any form. Musk's comments reportedly continue to shape rising debates over AI’s economic consequences and the future of work for an entire generation.