Elon Musk: Tesla’s Optimus could increase global GDP 100 times, completely eliminate poverty

According to Musk, Optimus will be the biggest turning point in human history, when each robot can work continuously, tirelessly, without needing to rest.

At Tesla’s recent shareholder meeting, Elon Musk once again stunned the technology and financial world with his statement: Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus could help increase global GDP 100 times.

According to Musk, Optimus will be the biggest turning point in human history, when each robot can work continuously, tirelessly, without rest, and “will create an economy so abundant that people no longer have to work to survive.” He emphasized, “the only way to eliminate poverty and inequality on a global scale is through this robot army.”

Optimus was originally announced by Tesla in 2021, but it was only in 2025 that Musk truly described it as Tesla’s most important future product. He believes that a future Optimus robot could be five times more productive than an average worker, and if mass-produced, billions of such robots would completely change the world’s economic structure. 

“When AI has a body, there will be no limit to the productivity of the economy,” Musk said in a speech quoted by Business Insider, predicting that Tesla’s future value will come mainly from robotics, not electric cars.

Musk’s vision reads like a manifesto for a post-labor era where robots take over nearly every manufacturing and service job. He argues that with Optimus, humanity could achieve “universal high income” because the massive productivity robots create would drive down the cost of goods and free up the resources for governments to redistribute wealth. In one speech, Musk even envisions robots taking on the role of social policing, “following people who commit crimes to prevent them from reoffending, rather than locking them up in prison.”

But, as is often the case with Musk, experts were quick to question the feasibility of this claim. With global GDP currently around $100 trillion, a 10- to 100-fold increase would mean a world economy of between $1 million and $10 quadrillion—a figure that defies all economic models and would require unprecedented advances in energy, infrastructure, materials, and manufacturing technology. Reuters commented that “Musk is once again getting away from reality with his vague calculations,” noting that most of his projects—from fully autonomous cars to Mars travel—are years away from reality than expected.

Even with Optimus, Tesla’s demonstrations are still prototypes. The robot can walk, bend, move light objects, and perform basic tasks, but it’s still a long way from “replacing human labor.” Robotics engineers warn that the ability to maneuver in real-world environments—something humans do easily—is a huge challenge for machines. In addition, the cost of mass-producing humanoid robots is still unclear; even at today’s pace of technology, building billions of them could take decades and trillions of dollars in investment.

But, even if we ignore the usual exaggerations, Musk’s statement still reflects an undeniable trend: the world is moving very quickly toward full automation. From manufacturing lines to customer service to creative jobs, artificial intelligence is replacing humans at an increasing rate.

Optimus – though still in its early stages – could be a symbol of the time when AI moves off the screen and into real life. If Musk’s vision is correct, it’s not just a technological shift, but a revolution in work philosophy – where value is no longer measured by hours worked, but by a person’s creativity, empathy, and social orientation.