Musk: "All Jobs Will Disappear Due to AI... Introduction of Universal High Income"

Rishi Sunak Meets UK Prime Minister
"AI, the Most Disruptive Force in History... An Era Without Jobs Will Come"
Dismisses Economic Destruction Concerns... "Universal High Income Expected"

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could take away all human jobs. However, he predicted that if productivity expands due to AI, a world of 'universal high income' will unfold, where AI does the work and people receive a basic income. While expressing concerns about the dangers of AI, he also offered an optimistic outlook that AI will ultimately be used for good.

On the 2nd (local time), Musk participated in the 'Business Connect' event, a dialogue with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Lancaster House in London, where he was asked about changes in the job market. He described AI as "the most destructive force in history." Their meeting took place after the world's first 'AI Safety Summit' held in London on the 1st and 2nd. Musk had come to the UK to attend this event.

Musk said, "There will come a time when no jobs are needed," and predicted, "If you want a job, you can have one, but an era will come when AI can do everything." He added, "I don't know whether people will feel comfortable or uncomfortable in such a time."

When Prime Minister Sunak responded to Musk's outlook by saying, "I believe work gives meaning," Musk replied, "Sometimes you have to enter a state of distrust." He joked, "At 3 a.m., burning oil, you should think, 'I could wait for AI to do this job, so why am I doing it?'"

Since OpenAI released ChatGPT last year, the generative AI boom has raised concerns that AI could threaten jobs. Global investment bank Goldman Sachs forecasted in a report released in April that 300 million jobs could disappear in 10 years due to AI.

However, Musk dismissed concerns that AI could destroy the economy. He said, "There will be abundant opportunities for new services," and predicted, "We will apply universal 'high income,' not just universal 'basic income.'" The idea is that AI will do the work, and people will receive basic income instead of wages. This is based on the expectation that although AI taking human jobs will inevitably cause mass unemployment, productivity in goods and services will be maximized.

Musk also emphasized the risks of AI and the need for regulation. He said, "What would happen if one day a robot becomes unfriendly after a software update?" and added, "We must be able to switch off AI technology. This is something we should be quite concerned about." He continued, "Regulation is a nuisance, but over many years, I have learned that it is better to have a referee."

Nevertheless, he looked optimistically toward the future AI will bring. Musk expects AI to ultimately be used for "good," becoming a "good friend" to humans rather than harming them.

He also highly praised the UK's invitation of China to this AI Safety Summit. China's attendance, amid its high-tech competition with the U.S., was controversial even before the meeting, and Prime Minister Sunak invited China only to some parts of the event as a precaution. Musk said, "If China does not attend, it is meaningless," and warned, "If China does not commit to AI safety, it will take the lead in AI development and surpass us all." He emphasized that the AI-leading countries?the U.S., the UK, and China?must cooperate for AI safety.

Meanwhile, the AI Safety Summit was attended by 28 countries including the U.S., the UK, China, and the European Union (EU). These nations agreed to cooperate to prevent catastrophic risks of AI and announced the first international agreement, the 'Bletchley Declaration.' The declaration states that AI misuse in areas such as cybersecurity and biotechnology, or through content manipulation like fake news, can cause serious harm, and that the international community will join forces to address these issues.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.