Elon Musk believes humanoid robots and self-driving cars will soon start reshaping the global economy, and much sooner than many might expect.
In a May post on X, Musk wrote, “Robot cars (aka FSD) should have a noticeable effect in 1 to 2 years.”
He added, “I have come to the perhaps obvious conclusion that accelerating GDP growth is essential.”
“@DOGE has and will do great work to postpone the day of bankruptcy of America,” Musk continued, “but the profligacy of government means that only radical improvements in productivity can save our country.”
The X post came in response to someone wondering whether “Elon has somewhat moved away from politics in order to accelerate GDP growth with humanoid robots” after another person wrote that “Given the disastrous GOP bill, the only chance the US has is explosive GDP growth.”
In a separate reply, he estimated humanoid robots will begin impacting gross domestic product within “4 to 5 years.”
Musk also made similar claims at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, where he called humanoid robots “the biggest industry or the biggest product ever, bigger than cellphones or anything else.”
Work Could Become ‘Optional’
During the event, Musk shared his view that robotics and AI will dramatically reshape the labor market.
“My prediction is that work will be optional,” he said. “It’ll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that.”
He added that the shift could happen within 10 to 20 years and might even eliminate poverty and reduce the need for money altogether.
“There is basically one way to make everyone wealthy, and that is AI and robotics,” Musk said.
He acknowledged that physical constraints like energy and materials will still exist, but believes technology will eventually reach a point where financial systems as we know them become obsolete.
Skepticism and a Pattern of Overpromising
While Musk’s predictions are bold, they’re not without controversy. Critics have pointed out his history of missed deadlines and exaggerated claims.
He once said Teslas would be fully autonomous by 2017, promised a fleet of robo-taxis by 2020, and claimed SpaceX would establish a Mars colony within 10 years.
The Tesla Roadster, revealed in 2017, is still undelivered, and the Hyperloop has quietly faded from view.
Musk also claimed Tesla would eventually produce 500,000 Cybertrucks a year. More than a million people placed reservations, but the company only delivered about 40,000 in 2024. That number dropped in 2025, with just 16,097 Cybertrucks sold in the first nine months, a 38% year-over-year decline.
Tesla has since rolled out a series of sales incentives to move inventory, including 1.99% APR financing and free lifetime Supercharging on some unsold units. Some models were also quietly relabeled from limited editions to standard versions.
Political commentator Kyle Kulinski blasted Musk’s credibility, saying, “We’re kind of a nation of rubes. For some reason, there are certain scam artists who can just keep scamming, and they just keep getting away with it.”
He called Musk “the king of vaporware.”
Vision vs. Reality
Musk’s ideas have often pushed boundaries—some have changed industries, while others never got off the ground.
Back in May, he praised DOGE, but seven months later, Musk appeared to walk that back. In an interview on The Katie Miller Podcast, he said DOGE was only “a little bit successful, we were somewhat successful,” and admitted, “I mean no, I don’t think so,” when asked if he would do it again.
This reversal came after mounting political backlash, falling Tesla sales, and a very public break with the Trump administration over a GOP spending bill.
His latest push to frame AI and robotics as economic lifesavers comes at a time when many are questioning how realistic these timelines are.
For now, the tech world is watching to see whether humanoid robots and autonomous vehicles will truly reshape the global economy, or if they’ll join the growing list of promises that never quite delivered.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Elon Musk” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.