Elon Musk has admitted that he became too involved in politics during his close alliance with US President Donald Trump, saying he now believes he should have spent more time running his companies instead of leading the administration's controversial cost-cutting initiative.
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Speaking in an interview with The Economist, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO reflected on his brief stint as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), his views on artificial intelligence, the future of work, Mars, and even his prediction that the UK could face civil unrest in the coming decades.
Elon Musk admits he got 'carried away'
Looking back at his political involvement, Musk said, "I got carried away, frankly."
The billionaire had backed Trump's 2024 presidential campaign with around $200 million before being appointed to head DOGE, where he oversaw sweeping federal spending cuts and layoffs across government departments.
While Musk did not elaborate on his regret, he acknowledged that his focus may have been misplaced.
Earlier, during a podcast appearance in December, he had made a similar admission.
"I think instead of doing DOGE, I would have basically worked on my companies," he had said.
Musk says AI will make human work optional
Artificial intelligence remained one of the biggest talking points during the interview.
According to Musk, AI systems and humanoid robots will eventually perform most digital and physical jobs, making work by humans largely optional.
He predicted that within five years, AI could become smarter than the combined intelligence of all humans. Within the next 10 years, he believes robots will help create such an era of abundance that money itself may lose much of its importance.
Musk also revealed that he wants to combine his AI venture with SpaceX and use Tesla's humanoid robots to perform cognitive tasks such as software programming.
Predicts 'universal high income' in AI future
As AI automates millions of jobs, Musk argued governments may eventually have to introduce a system of "universal high income."
He suggested governments could issue people cheques in a future where machines produce an almost unlimited supply of goods and services, adding that deflation could become a bigger economic concern than inflation.
Musk also claimed he would be willing to pay "trillions in tax" in such a future.
Elon Musk makes fresh comments on UK and Ukraine
Beyond technology, Musk also touched on geopolitics.
He claimed the UK could face civil war within the next 20 years, largely due to immigration and social tensions.
Discussing the Russia-Ukraine war, Musk said that any eventual peace agreement should include territorial gains for Russia, despite SpaceX's Starlink satellites having played a key role in supporting Ukraine's military.
From Mars to alien simulations
The interview also featured several of Musk's trademark futuristic predictions.
He reiterated his ambition of sending humans to Mars, while also suggesting that the universe itself could be a computer simulation created by aliens.
"The things I'm doing are so preposterous that it's hard to believe they're real," Musk said.
The interview comes just weeks after SpaceX's stock market debut, which briefly pushed Musk's net worth above $1.25 trillion before it later declined.
