Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, made his first appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, where he outlined a bold vision in which robots eventually outnumber humans and artificial intelligence (AI) drives global prosperity.
Musk, long a critic of Davos — which he described in 2023 as “increasingly becoming an unelected world government that the people never asked for and don’t want” — spoke at the gathering of global leaders, business executives, and policymakers, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
During a one-on-one conversation with BlackRock CEO and WEF co-chair Larry Fink, Musk said Tesla’s mission now includes achieving “sustainable abundance” through robotics and AI. He highlighted Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, and the company’s automated robotaxi initiative as core to this vision.
“With robotics and AI, this is really the path to abundance for all,” Musk said. “People often talk about solving global poverty — how do we give everyone a very high standard of living? The only way to do this is AI and robotics.”
Musk predicted that robotics will become ubiquitous, unleashing “an explosion in the global economy,” and stated, “My prediction is there will be more robots than people.” He noted that humanoid robots could help address eldercare shortages in aging societies.
Timeline for Optimus Robots
Tesla’s Optimus robots are currently performing simple factory tasks. Musk projected that by the end of 2026, they will handle complex tasks in industrial environments, and by 2027, they could be available for public sale if safety and reliability standards are met. Musk emphasized that these robots will dramatically increase economic output: “Economic output = average productivity of robots × number of robots.”
He expects humanoid robots to outnumber humans within three to five years, enabling widespread production of goods and services and shared prosperity, while also warning that “necessary work” and universal wealth cannot coexist if some jobs remain limited to a small group.
The global market for humanoid robots, currently valued at $2–3 billion, could expand to between $40 billion and $200 billion by 2035, according to Barclays analysts.
AI, Energy, and the Limits of Expansion
Musk also warned that AI development faces real-world energy constraints. While chip production has accelerated, global electricity supply grows only 4–10% annually, creating a potential bottleneck. Highlighting China’s rapid renewable energy progress, Musk said its solar capacity, combined with energy storage, can supply roughly 250 gigawatts of stable electricity—about half of U.S. average consumption. Musk said Tesla and SpaceX aim to produce 100 gigawatts of solar power equipment annually in the U.S. within three years, and proposed a space-based solar energy plan that could supply low-cost AI infrastructure within two to three years.
Autonomous driving, Musk said, is “essentially a solved problem.” Tesla’s robotaxis are operating in select U.S. cities and will be widely available nationwide by the end of 2026. Regulatory approval in Europe is expected in February, with China’s approval process underway. Musk emphasized that Tesla’s visual and neural network technologies for autonomous vehicles will also accelerate the commercialization of Optimus robots.
SpaceX and Full Rocket Reusability
On space exploration, Musk revealed that SpaceX aims to achieve full reusability of its Starship rockets by 2026. Currently, boosters are partially reusable, but full reusability would reduce the cost of space access by a factor of 100, potentially below air freight costs. Musk likened the impact to airplanes: if they were scrapped after each flight, ticket prices would be astronomical. Fully reusable rockets will support Mars and lunar missions, large-scale satellite launches, and space-based solar power projects.
Musk provided a timeline for AI development, predicting that by 2026, some AI systems may surpass human intelligence, and by 2030, AI capabilities could exceed the combined intellect of all humans—a stage he describes as the “technological singularity.” He warned of associated risks, stressing the importance of responsible governance to avoid dystopian outcomes depicted in science fiction.
Despite his optimism, Musk acknowledged ongoing challenges. Tesla’s EV deliveries have declined for two consecutive years, Optimus and Cybertruck production remains slow, and his social platform X and AI assistant Grok face regulatory scrutiny in the U.S., EU, and elsewhere over content risks.
Explore more exclusive insights at nextfin.ai.
