For India’s technology sector, which builds much of the software behind the AI boom, a forecast from Elon Musk carries weight whether or not it comes true. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the SpaceX and Tesla founder said artificial intelligence will surpass the intelligence of all humanity combined by 2030 or 2031.
Speaking on Thursday, the Tesla and xAI chief said development is moving so fast that machines smarter than any single human could appear much sooner. “Given the pace at which AI is advancing, I believe by the end of this year we could have artificial intelligence that is smarter than any human,” Musk said. Mint reported that he put 2031 as the latest date by which this almost certainly happens.
He also gave a consumer timeline. “I think by the end of next year we will be selling humanoid robots to the public,” he said.
A warning from a company that builds the thing
Musk has long described AI as both a transformative opportunity and a profound risk, and he has repeatedly called for stronger oversight. His own companies, meanwhile, keep investing heavily in the technology. Analysts will note that tension: the person urging caution is also one of the most aggressive builders in the field.
It was Musk’s first appearance at Davos, a notable turn for a billionaire who has often criticised the annual gathering.
Tesla’s driving software and the scrutiny around Musk
Alongside the AI remarks, Musk said Tesla is close to winning European regulatory approval for supervised Full Self-Driving. He hoped it could be authorised in Europe as early as the following month, and said a similar timeline is being targeted in China. Approval would be a significant milestone and could open the way to wider rollout of Tesla’s autonomous driving features in major markets.
The appearance came as his ventures face fresh scrutiny. SpaceX remains central to debates over satellite internet in conflict zones, and xAI has drawn criticism after reports of sexualised images generated by its Grok chatbot, which raised questions about content moderation and safeguards in generative AI.
Remarks attributed to Elon Musk. Watch the clip above.
Sources
- Musk predicts AI could outstrip all human intelligence by 2030–2031 – ABCMEDIA
- Elon Musk says artificial intelligence may outthink humanity by 2031 | Mint
