Elon Musk has set a new ambition for his next big project at Tesla – the mission to end crime and poverty. Musk is once again pushing the boundaries of ambition, resting a lot on the company’s upcoming Optimus robot. Musk’s new goal was shared on the sidelines of his securing a massive $1 trillion compensation package as Tesla’s CEO.
At a recent shareholder meeting, held shortly after Tesla investors re-approved his mega pay deal, the CEO outlined a future where Optimus robots not only reshape the economy but also solve some of humanity’s biggest social problems. Musk declared that the widespread deployment of the humanoid robots, which are still in the development phase, is the “only way” to eliminate poverty, make human working optional, and potentially boost the global economy by as much as 100 times. He believes this to be a shift towards an era of sustainable abundance and universal high income.
“People often talk about eliminating poverty, giving everyone amazing medical care. There’s actually only one way to do that, and that’s with the Optimus robot,” said Musk.
Musk’s dancing Optimus robots will prevent crime
Musk’s new performance-based compensation plan is tied to Tesla achieving colossal goals, including the eventual sale of one million Optimus robots within the next decade. He asserts that each robot will be five times more productive than a human and capable of working around the clock, thereby making human labour largely obsolete.
The CEO’s ambitions did not stop at economics. He suggested that Optimus could also serve a radical role in the justice system. Instead of building prisons, Musk suggested the robots could be deployed to “follow you around and stop you from doing crime.” While the practical and ethical implications of 24/7 robot surveillance remain unclear, Musk maintained confidence in his techno-utopian vision.
The Tesla humanoid robot project is still in its design phase, especially considering the development of complex features like robot hands. Musk says that when mass production begins, Optimus will most likely sell for between $20,000 to $30,000, positioning it as a potentially world-changing product priced like a generic family car.
However, Musk also said that the transition would involve “a lot of trauma and disruption along the way.”
