Forget the four-day workweek, Elon Musk predicts you won't have to work at all in 'less than 20 years' | Fortune

"Gen Z graduates are searching for any signs that AI won't be able to swipe their entry-level roles right out of college. But Elon Musk anticipates a very different future for those young hopefuls: by the time they're in their 40s, they won't have to work at all. "In less than 20 years-but maybe even as little as ten or 15 years-the advancements in AI and robotics will bring us to the point where working is optional," Musk said yesterday."

"Technologies such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini have already alleviated the burden of some time-consuming work, such as data cleaning, summarization, and other administrative tasks. By 2029, one survey last year found that AI will save workers up to 12 hours per week. The podcast host, Nikil Kamath, noted that already parts of the world are seeing a shift to shorter workweeks as a result. But forget the four-day work week, as AI continues to boost productivity gains, Musk insisted that jobs will become more of a personal choice, like a hobby."

""You can grow your own vegetables in your garden or you could go to the store and buy vegetables," the billionaire tech mogul explained. "It's much harder to grow your own vegetables. But some people like to grow their vegetables, which is fine. But it'll be optional, in that way, is my prediction." Without needing to go into an office, Musk added that living near one-or out in the countryside-will be completely optional too."

Young graduates face uncertainty about AI replacing entry-level roles while technological advances already reduce administrative burdens. Current tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini cut data cleaning and summarization time, and one survey projected up to 12 hours saved per week by 2029. Observed shifts toward shorter workweeks are emerging in some regions. Elon Musk predicts that within ten to twenty years, AI and robotics progress will make working optional, transforming employment into a personal choice or hobby. He compares optional work to growing vegetables at home and says living near offices will no longer be necessary.

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