Elon says that in 10–15 years, work will be optional thanks to AI and robotics.
“In the future, it won’t be the case that you might be in a city to get a job. My prediction is that in the future, working will be optional.
I say that in less than 10 years, working at all will be optional”, he told Nikhil Kamath in the latest episode of the Zerodha co-founder’s WTF podcast.
Honestly? I don’t think that’s something to fear.
I think it’s something to design for.
Because if AI can take over the boring, repetitive, mentally draining work, we finally get to focus on the part humans are built for: creativity, strategy, connection & exploration.
Imagine a world where your work isn’t about survival, but about contribution.
Where people choose projects because they’re meaningful, not mandatory.
Where teams spend more time thinking and less time firefighting.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s a direction.
But it won’t happen automatically.
We need strategy, governance, skill transformation, and leadership that thinks beyond quarterly cycles.
My belief?
AI won’t remove human work.
It will remove the parts of work that never felt human in the first place.
If your organization wants to build toward this future instead of reacting to it, DM me.