In a recent social media interaction, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has echoed his support for a bold prediction made by tech leader David Holz regarding the future of humanoid robots. Holz, the creator of the AI research lab Midjourney, proclaimed last week that Earth could see the presence of approximately 1 billion humanoid robots by the 2040s. Musk, known for his ventures in electric vehicles and space exploration, confirmed his agreement with this forecast on X, the former Twitter platform.
Holz’s prediction doesn’t stop at Earth, as he also suggested that there could be a staggering 100 billion robots, mostly alien in nature, spread throughout the solar system by the 2060s. According to Fox News, Musk responded to this expansive vision, saying, “Probably something like that, provided the foundations of civilization are stable.”
Elon Musk’s own company, Tesla, appears to be actively working towards realizing this ambitious goal. Tesla had unveiled a humanoid robot prototype named Tesla Optimus, or Tesla Bot, during the AI Day event in August 2021. Musk expressed his belief that this robot could be more impactful than Tesla’s vehicle business in the long run.
During an event in October 2022, Musk disclosed his intention to produce millions of Tesla Optimus robots, with an estimated cost of approximately $20,000 each. Despite acknowledging the robot’s current limitations, Musk emphasized his caution in assigning more complex tasks, stating that he didn’t want it to “fall on its face” after its initial stage debut.
As technology continues to advance and influential figures like Elon Musk endorse the vision of a future populated by humanoid robots, the trajectory of robotics and artificial intelligence in the coming decades is poised to be a focal point of global attention.
