Musk: AI era could erase money, boost Bitcoin

In Musk’s AI- and robotics-driven future, traditional money fades as labor allocation becomes obsolete, while energy—and energy-backed assets like Bitcoin—persist as core value.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk outlined a vision in which traditional currency becomes obsolete as artificial intelligence and robotics advance, while energy-based systems such as Bitcoin could persist as measures of value.

Speaking on a podcast with Indian entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath, Musk stated that money may eventually “disappear as a concept” in a future where AI and robotics can satisfy human needs, eliminating the necessity for currency as a mechanism for labor allocation.

“If AI and robotics are big enough to satisfy all human needs, then money is no longer… its relevance declines dramatically,” Musk said during the podcast.

Musk referenced the Culture series by Scottish author Iain Banks as an example of a fictional post-scarcity society without monetary systems, where individuals can obtain desired goods without currency.

Despite projecting the decline of traditional money, Musk indicated that certain forms of value would remain relevant in such a scenario. He described energy as a “fundamental currency” based on physics rather than political systems.

“Energy is the true currency,” Musk said, adding that Bitcoin’s (BTC) value derives from its energy-based foundation. The cryptocurrency’s proof-of-work mechanism requires miners to expend electricity and computational power to secure the network, creating a link between digital assets and physical resources.

Musk emphasized that energy production cannot be controlled through legislation alone. “You can’t legislate energy,” he stated. “You can’t just, you know, pass a law and suddenly have a lot of energy.”

The executive suggested that power generation could become the de facto currency, with control over efficient and abundant energy sources translating to economic strength. This framework aligns with Bitcoin’s proof-of-work model, which converts electricity and hardware into digital scarcity that proponents argue cannot be manipulated by central banks or governments.

Bitcoin’s energy consumption remains a subject of debate among policymakers and environmental groups. Critics cite concerns about carbon emissions and electrical grid strain, while supporters contend that mining operations can promote renewable energy development and improve power grid efficiency.

Musk did not provide a timeline for the transition to an energy-based value system. The scenario described depends on advances in AI and robotics that have not yet materialized. National currencies and conventional payment systems continue to serve as the primary means of exchange for commerce, savings and wages, while Bitcoin functions as both a tradable asset and an alternative to traditional monetary systems.