--- title: "Elon Musk Says Earth Will Soon Host a Billion Humanoid Robots" description: "Elon Musk is back at it again with the outlandish forecasts, and this one about humanoid robots is a heck of a doozy." date: "2024-01-18" modified: "2024-01-18" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-billion-humanoid-robots" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "Humanoid Robots" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Says Earth Will Soon Host a Billion Humanoid Robots ![Elon Musk is back at it again with the outlandish forecasts, and this one about humanoid robots is a heck of a doozy.]() *\Image: Slaven Vlasic for The New York Times via Getty / Futurism\* ## Sunny Outlook Elon Musk is back at it again with the outlandish forecasts, and this one about humanoid robots is a doozy. It all started with a tweet from Midjourney founder David Holz, who [predicted ]()that by the time we reach the 2040s, "we should be expecting a billion humanoid robots" on Earth — and that 20 years after that, we should expect 100 times that many "mostly alien" robots, whatever that means. "Probably something like that," [Musk replied to Holz]() unprompted, "provided the foundations of civilization are stable." To be fair, this almost certainly overblown prediction is shared by many who have stakes in the technology. Nearly a decade ago, leaders in the robotics industry [told Pew pollsters]() that by the year 2025, artificial intelligence and robots will pervade "nearly every aspect of daily life" from manufacturing to household chores a la [Rosey the Robot]() from "The Jetsons." With one year to go, of course, that's not even close to happening. But advocates are still bullish, even if they're kicking back the timeline: the Austrian financial firm Macquarie [said in February 2023]() that its markets intelligence analysis predicted humanoid robots would replace more and more human workers in factories by the mid-2030s. ## Big Talk When it comes to making bold predictions, nobody does it like Musk. This latest quip comes after a particularly weird week for the dual South African-born billionaire, who [got called out]() for [saying something super racist]() and then whined about [not owning as much of Tesla]() as he wants because, [as he tweeted](), he's "uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI and robotics without having \~25 percent voting control." It also occurred just a few days after Musk posted a video [showing one of Tesla's Optimus robots]() folding a shirt, which was supposed to display the robot's autonomous prowess. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1746964887949934958 Eagle-eyed critics, however, [noticed a gloved hand]() moving in and out of the corner of the frame, strongly suggesting that a human was controlling the robot's movements. Musk was [forced to admit]() soon after his initially post that "Optimus cannot yet do this autonomously, but certainly will be able to do this fully autonomously and in an arbitrary environment." After that miniature debacle, which is likely so low on Musk's list of concerns that it barely registered, one would think he'd be reticent to make [another outlandish claim]() about the proliferation of humanoid robots so soon after getting debunked. Then again, this is Elon Musk we're talking about, and [humility has never been his strong suit](). **More on Musk:** [*NASA Responds to Elon Musk Drug Allegations*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()