Elon Musk says AI could be smarter than humans by the end of this year

Elon Musk

• Musk predicts AI will surpass human intelligence by late 2024 or soon after.
• Musk expects humanoid robots to be sold to the public by end of next year
• He says robots and AI could eventually meet nearly all human needs

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Tech billionaire Elon Musk is once again making bold predictions about the future of artificial intelligence. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Musk said he believes AI could become smarter than any human by the end of this year, and eventually surpass the combined intelligence of all humanity within the next five years.

Musk was part of a panel discussion alongside BlackRock CEO Larry Fink at the annual gathering, an appearance that caught attention given his long-standing criticism of the forum. During the conversation, Musk said the pace at which AI is advancing is far faster than most people realise.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in 10 years,” Musk said. “But at the rate AI is progressing, I think we might have AI that is smarter than any human by the end of this year.” He added that if not this year, then certainly soon. By around 2030 or 2031, he believes AI will be smarter than all of humanity combined.

Beyond intelligence, Musk also spoke about the economic impact of AI and robotics, predicting an unprecedented expansion. According to him, humanoid robots could soon become a consumer product. “If things go well, we expect to sell humanoid robots to the public by the end of next year,” he said.

Musk went even further, suggesting that robots and AI could eventually meet nearly all human needs. “We will actually make so many robots and AI that they will saturate human needs,” he said, adding that he expects there will one day be more robots than people.

In his vision of the future, robots would dramatically reduce the amount of work humans need to do. He also predicted a point where robots would manufacture other robots, accelerating their spread across society.

Musk framed this shift as a positive one, especially for families. He suggested that almost everyone would want a robot to help with everyday responsibilities. “Everyone on Earth is going to want a robot,” he said, whether it is to care for ageing parents, watch over children, or even look after pets, assuming the technology is safe.

Musk, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink, said his broader goal is to maximise the chances that civilisation has what he called “a great future.”

His appearance at the World Economic Forum came at an awkward time. His AI startup xAI is currently facing controversy over Grok, its chatbot, which has drawn criticism for generating sexually explicit images.

It also stood out because Musk has often mocked Davos and the WEF on his social media platform X, calling the event boring and accusing it of being elitist and disconnected from ordinary people. He has previously described the forum as an unelected global authority that people never asked for.

Despite his criticism, Musk’s message in Davos was clear. He believes AI and robots are coming fast, and they will change everyday life far sooner than most expect.