Elon Musk says AI will make most skills obsolete — but his kids can still go to college if they want
In a recent discussion with investor and podcaster Nikhil Kamath, Elon Musk expressed his belief that advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics could render most job skills obsolete within the next two decades. Musk described this impending transformation as a “supersonic tsunami,” suggesting that a future where work becomes optional is not far off. He acknowledged that even his own children, who are technologically savvy, recognize that their skills may soon be overshadowed by AI capabilities. Despite this bleak outlook for traditional job skills, Musk still advocates for college education for his sons, emphasizing its role in fostering social growth and providing a broad learning experience that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Musk’s perspective on higher education is nuanced. While he has previously criticized the formal education system as a means of merely demonstrating one’s ability to follow rules rather than a genuine pursuit of knowledge, he now sees value in the social environment that college offers. He encourages students to embrace the opportunity to learn across a wide range of subjects, not just those directly related to their career paths. This stance aligns with the views of several educators and researchers who argue that rather than making learning irrelevant, AI has exposed shortcomings in higher education that necessitate a reinvention of how we approach learning. Experts suggest that young people should focus on developing critical thinking and leadership skills—qualities that AI cannot easily replicate—as they navigate a job market increasingly influenced by technology.
In light of the evolving job landscape, experts like James Ransom and Mark Cuban advocate for a proactive approach among younger generations. Ransom advises Gen Z to shift their focus from specific job titles to understanding the underlying tasks within those roles, positioning themselves as adept supervisors of AI technology. Cuban suggests that students who learn to engage critically with AI will emerge as sharper thinkers and stronger leaders. Additionally, finance veteran Quentin Nason emphasizes the importance of acquiring real-world skills, such as entrepreneurship and financial literacy, in an era where traditional entry-level roles are diminishing. As the future of work continues to be reshaped by AI, the emphasis on adaptability and the cultivation of irreplaceable human skills becomes paramount for the next generation.
Elon Musk says AI may render most job skills obsolete, yet he still supports college for his sons because it offers social growth and broad learning that they cannot obtain elsewhere.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Elon Musk predicts AI will make most job skills obsolete within 20 years.
Still, he values college for social growth and broad learning, he said.
Experts urge young people to develop critical thinking and leadership skills that AI can’t replace.
Elon Musk
thinks the age of human labor is coming to an end, but he’s still happy for his kids to go to college.
In a conversation with investor and podcaster Nikhil Kamath, posted on Sunday, the billionaire painted a future where AI and robotics transform society so dramatically that traditional skills — even highly technical ones — may become irrelevant.
“AI and robotics is a supersonic tsunami. This is really going to be the most radical change that we’ve ever seen,” Musk said.
At one point, he described a world less than two decades away where
work becomes optional
because machines can do nearly everything society needs.
“My prediction is, in less than 20 years, working will be optional. Working at all will be optional,” he said.
Even his own children — several of whom he said are technologically adept — recognize how quickly their skills could be overtaken by AI, Musk said.
“They agree that AI will probably make their skills unnecessary in the future, but they still want to go to college.”
Musk’s ambivalence toward higher education
Despite his long-running skepticism about the value of formal education — he said that college is ”
not for learning
” but for proving you can “do your chores” in 2020 — Musk took a more balanced stance here.
“I don’t think you have to go to college,” he told Kamath, adding that he sees higher education more as a social environment than a skills factory.
“If you want to go to college for social reasons, I think that’s a reason to go — to be around people your own age in a learning environment,” he said.
“If you do, just try to learn as much as possible across a wide range of subjects,” he added.
A growing divide
Professors and researchers are navigating the rise of AI and its impact on learning.
Steven Mintz, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told Business Insider last week that
AI hasn’t made learning irrelevant
— it has revealed how shallow and mechanized much of higher education already is, and how urgently it needs reinvention.
Anastasia Berg, an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of California, Irvine, has similarly warned that overreliance on
AI is eroding foundational abilities
, leaving junior workers unable to function without digital hand-holding.
For younger workers in particular, several researchers say that the safest bet is not to step back from skill-building but to double down on the abilities AI can’t easily replace.
James Ransom, a research fellow at University College London, told Business Insider last week that Gen Z should stop
fixating on job titles
and instead understand the tasks inside those roles — then show how they can supervise and scale AI more effectively than their peers.
Mark Cuban, meanwhile, believes students who learn to use AI critically will become
sharper thinkers and stronger leaders
, not less capable ones.
And finance veteran Quentin Nason told Business Insider in October that shrinking entry-level roles and AI-driven hiring make it more urgent than ever for young people to
build real-world skills
, like entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
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Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering Business news.
