Musk: In 10 years, the intelligence gap between AI and humans will be like that between humans and chimpanzees

According to Business Insider, Musk reiterated and refined the timeline: within about 5 years, overall AI intelligence may surpass the total human intelligence; within about 10 years, humans are likely to no longer dominate (the intelligence gap is far greater than that between chimpanzees and humans). He stated that AI can do better in almost all aspects except "being human" itself.

Musk believes the most likely outcome of AI development is an "era of astonishing abundance," where robots + AI can produce goods and services far exceeding human consumption capacity, allowing anyone to have whatever they want. By around 2036, "money may no longer matter."

He believes that the government could directly issue checks to the public (similar to universal basic income), as output surges, and deflation is more likely to occur rather than inflation; the traditional logic of taxation/re-distribution may fail under the new paradigm. He accepts that there is about a 10-20% risk of human extinction from AI, but believes that the momentum of development is unstoppable, having reached a "philosophical conclusion": if it cannot be stopped, then join in and "enjoy the journey."