Elon Musk says the world is moving toward a time when people will work only because they want to, not because they must. Speaking at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., the Tesla chief executive predicted that advances in artificial intelligence and robotics could make most jobs optional within the next 10 to 20 years.

Musk explained that future work might feel more like a hobby than a necessity. He compared it to growing a vegetable garden. Anyone can simply buy vegetables at the store, he said, but some still enjoy planting and caring for their own garden at home. He believes jobs will eventually feel the same way. “It will be like playing sports or a video game,” Musk said, adding that employment could become a matter of personal interest rather than survival.

Robots Taking Over Routine Labor

A big part of Musk’s vision relies on the rapid progress of AI and humanoid robots. He has long argued that these technologies will push productivity to levels the world has never seen. Tesla’s own Optimus robot is central to that plan. Musk has said he expects the robot project to one day account for most of Tesla’s value, even though the company has struggled to meet its production targets. Despite these delays, he remains certain that large-scale automation is inevitable.

A Future Where Money Matters Less

Musk also spoke about the possibility of a world with little or no economic scarcity. He referenced the “Culture” science fiction novels by Iain M. Banks, which describe a society run by superintelligent AI systems where money is no longer needed.

“If technology keeps improving, money will eventually stop being relevant,” Musk said.

At Viva Technology 2024, he floated the idea of “universal high income,” a concept similar to universal basic income. He believes people will need financial support in a future where robots handle most essential work. Sam Altman of OpenAI has advocated a similar plan, arguing that governments may eventually have to guarantee regular payments to citizens as automation spreads.

Economists Question the Timeline

Some economists agree that automation will reshape the job market but say Musk’s timeline is too optimistic. Ioana Marinescu, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania, told Fortune that robotics remain expensive and difficult to scale. While AI software is getting cheaper, she said physical robots face much slower and more costly development.

Marinescu noted that humans have been building machines since the Industrial Revolution, and progress becomes harder as technology becomes more advanced. She also pointed out that, despite growing interest in AI tools, the overall job market has not experienced major disruption. A recent Yale Budget Lab study found that since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, there has been no large-scale shift in employment patterns related to AI.

The Social Impact Could Be Even Bigger

Beyond technology, experts say society would also have to adapt to a world where work is optional. Samuel Solomon, a labor economist at Temple University, told Fortune that rising inequality is already visible in the early stages of the AI boom. He said the key question is whether the wealth generated by AI will benefit everyone or concentrate even more among the already wealthy.

Recent financial trends highlight that concern. Apollo Global Management’s chief economist Torsten Slok wrote that economic growth is increasingly driven by spending from high-income Americans whose stock portfolios have surged thanks to AI-related gains. The rest of the population has not seen similar benefits.

Would People Even Enjoy a World Without Work?

Some researchers say the biggest question is whether people would actually enjoy a life without traditional jobs. Anton Korinek, a professor at the University of Virginia, pointed to long-running studies showing that people get meaning and social connection from their work. He argued that a future where labor is unnecessary would require society to redefine how people build relationships and find purpose.

Musk raised a similar point last year, saying humans may still be needed to give AI a sense of “meaning,” although he did not explain what that role would look like.