Elon Musk Addresses 'Age of Abundance' in AI, Raises Concerns Over Humanoid Robots

SpaceX and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, set forth a fascinating but potentially alarming prognosis for our future with artificial intelligence, foreseeing what he labelled as an "age of abundance" tied to a "universal high income". This prediction was voiced during Musk's conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after a pioneering AI summit located at Bletchley Park, UK.

According to Musk, the radical technological advancement could get to a point where "no job is needed," with jobs merely becoming options for those seeking "personal satisfaction." He metaphorically related AI to "a magic genie" capable of fulfilling any wish, but simultaneously warned that such tales rarely have a fairy-tale ending.

Beyond hinting at abundant prosperity, Musk voiced significant concern over "humanoid robots". His assertion that 'a robot "can follow you anywhere"' brought his belief to the forefront that there should be considerable apprehension regarding these potential new age companions or threats. Musk added emphasis on the necessity of having a physical off switch for robots, accenting the risks associated with a possible rogue software update that might transform the once docile robots into hostile entities.

Musk's concerns echo a common fear often illustrated in Hollywood narratives where robots evolve and turn against their creators after a software update. Sunak acknowledged this shared concern, noting, "we've all watched" such movies.

The Bletchley summit culminated on Thursday with entities from Western governments and companies pioneering the next generation 'frontier' AI agreeing to a new safety testing regime.