Elon Musk Backs Prediction of 1 Billion Humanoid Robots by 2040

Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has backed a statement that there will be a billion humanoid robots on Earth by 2040.

Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in agreement with a prediction made by David Holz, founder of AI research lab Midjourney.

Holz initially wrote that "we should be expecting a billion humanoid robots on earth in the 2040s and a hundred billion (mostly alien) robots throughout the solar system in the 2060s."

In response, Musk replied: "Probably something like that, provided the foundations of civilization are stable."

This is not the first time Musk has predicted a humanoid robotics boom, saying at Tesla’s 2023 Investor Day that he expects the ratio of AI-powered humanoid robots to humans to “be greater than one to one,” and that one day Tesla’s robot business could be greater than its automotive. 

Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot was first announced at the company’s AI Day in August 2021 and has had several mobility updates since its launch. Most recently Optimus demonstrated its ability to fold laundry. 

Optimus, like many humanoid robotic designs, remains some years away from full autonomy, and the commercialization of humanoid robots is not yet on the horizon. However, interest in robotics and automation has seen a steady increase in recent years, a trend only expected to continue as businesses grapple with labor shortages and high production demands. 

Related:Tesla Humanoid Robot Optimus Folds Laundry in New Video

With businesses channeling increased investment into automation tech, the software and hardware behind the robots are becoming more sophisticated than ever and innovators are racing to develop their designs to meet customer needs across domestic and industrial use cases.