Elon Musk: More Humanoid Robots Than People by 2040

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, speaks at the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, which began Tuesday in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, speaks at the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, which began Tuesday in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Elon Musk: More Humanoid Robots Than People by 2040

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, speaks at the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, which began Tuesday in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, speaks at the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, which began Tuesday in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, suggested on Tuesday that humanoid robots could surpass the human population by 2040, also predicting that each robot will be priced about $25,000.

Musk was speaking at the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, which began Tuesday in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh.

The Tesla CEO, who plans to launch about five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars in two years, voiced concerns about the existential risks associated with artificial intelligence. “AI poses a significant existential threat, and we need to address it seriously,” he said.

Musk then emphasized the critical role of birth rates in sustaining society. “If we don’t produce new humans, there’s no future for humanity, and all the policies in the world won’t change that,” he said.

The Tesla chief executive anticipated that by 2029, AI could perform any task a human can, also stressing the ongoing need for advanced computing skills and technological transformation.

Separately, Musk said he expects self-driving cars to start operating in both California and Texas next year. He stressed that the models will be safer than human driving

He said Tesla plans to increase production. He expected 9 to 9.5 million vehicles on the road by the end of next year.

In the long term, Musk said, Tesla aims to produce 100 million cars as the company starts the mass production of vehicles with no steering wheel or pedals by 2026.

Musk then argued that excessive bureaucratic regulation was stifling growth, particularly in the US.

He said the biggest obstacle to progress is bureaucracy and “that’s been growing every year, especially under the Biden administration.”



EU Says Does Not Want Trade War with Beijing

Vendors offer desserts to pedestrians at a store in Beijing, China, 09 November, 2024. EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES
Vendors offer desserts to pedestrians at a store in Beijing, China, 09 November, 2024. EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES
TT

EU Says Does Not Want Trade War with Beijing

Vendors offer desserts to pedestrians at a store in Beijing, China, 09 November, 2024. EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES
Vendors offer desserts to pedestrians at a store in Beijing, China, 09 November, 2024. EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES

The EU does not want a trade war with Beijing but five years of talks have yielded no real progress, the bloc's ambassador to China said on Saturday, adding that concern was growing over Chinese market access for European medical devices.
Trade frictions between the bloc and China have intensified over the past year after the EU launched an investigation into Chinese-made imports of electric vehicles (EVs) that prompted Beijing to launch probes into Europe's pork and dairy industries and curb brandy imports.
New EU tariffs of up to 45.3% on Chinese EV imports came into effect last week.
On top of that, the EU launched a probe into China's public procurement of medical devices in April, which Beijing swiftly criticized at the time.
Speaking at an event in Shanghai, the EU's Ambassador to China Jorge Toledo said talks with European medical device makers had shown they were being discriminated against in Chinese public procurement.
"We have found out, that it's clear ... European companies, that have been producing medical devices in China for the last two decades, are being discriminated against their Chinese competitors in public procurement," Toledo said at the 30th anniversary celebration of the China Europe International Business School.
"If that is true, and we know it's true, we will treat Chinese companies in Europe the same way we are treated here," Reuters quoted him as saying. "We don't want a trade war. We just want transparency. We want a level playing field."