Elon Musk explains what happens when AI outsmarts all of us

Elon Musk told The Economist that artificial intelligence will likely surpass the combined intelligence of every human on Earth within about five years, and that humans may not remain in charge once that happens. Musk compared the widening gap between AI and human intelligence to the gap between humans and chimpanzees, and said he has gone from exhilaration to terror regarding AI, even intraday.

Elon Musk https://www.teslarati.com/category/elon-musk/ Elon Musk explains what happens when AI outsmarts all of us Elon Musk told The Economist that artificial intelligence will likely surpass the combined intelligence of every human on Earth within about five years, and that humans may not remain in charge once that happens. In a wide-ranging interview https://www.economist.com/business/2026/07/23/elon-musks-vision-of-the-future with editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes, recorded at Giga Texas for the outlet’s Insider series, Musk compared the widening gap between AI and human intelligence to the gap between humans and chimpanzees. “It’s hard to imagine that the chimpanzee would be in charge,” he said, addressing what happens to human authority once AI moves far beyond us. Elon Musk reiterates his most optimistic prediction yet with “UHI” forecast Musk’s timeline stretches out from there. Five years for AI to out-think humanity combined, ten years before humans lose meaningful control, and by 2036, he says, money itself may stop mattering. Musk notes that if robots and AI produce more goods and services than people could ever consume, currency loses its purpose. He told Beddoes that governments could respond with direct payments, what he called “universal high income,” a term he first used in an X post last August describing a future where “everyone will have the best medical care, food, home, transport and everything else.” There will be universal high income not merely basic income . Everyone will have the best medical care, food, home, transport and everything else. Sustainable abundance. — Elon Musk @elonmusk August 24, 2025 He also floated a more surprising prediction that deflation, and not inflation, would become the bigger economic problem, since expanding the supply of goods and services faster than the money supply grows would push prices down rather than up. None of this is new territory for Musk, who has spent years describing an “age of abundance” built on Optimus and autonomous vehicles. What’s notable is the timing. The interview landed the same week Tesla shares dropped roughly 19 percent following a second quarter earnings report that beat on revenue but missed badly on profit, and as SpaceX stock continues to slide from its post-IPO peak. Musk’s own net worth has fallen close to $700 billion since mid-June, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/elon-r-musk/ , even as he describes a future where personal wealth stops being the point. Musk did not dodge the risk side of the equation either. He put the odds of AI contributing to human extinction somewhere in the 10 to 20 percent range, then arrived at what he called his “philosophical conclusion” since the technology cannot realistically be stopped and the arguably better response is to keep building it and hope the outcome leans toward abundance rather than catastrophe. “I’ve gone from exhilaration to terror regarding AI,” he told Beddoes, “even intraday.” Gene has been obsessed with cars since before he could legally sit in the front seat. Writer, researcher, unofficial CS support, accountant, native suit guy when needed, and overall stick poker. He approaches every story the way he approaches a road trip: with too much enthusiasm, not enough planning, and a surprisingly good outcome. gene@teslarati.com mailto:gene@teslarati.com Elon Musk https://www.teslarati.com/category/elon-musk/ Tesla adds new ‘Traction Control Modes’ for better handling in any conditions Tesla is adding a new “Traction Control Modes” feature to its cars for better handling in any conditions. These features will roll out to the Model 3 and Model Y, the two vehicles in Tesla’s lineup that typically do not have drive modes for various conditions. Tesla did include this in the Model S and Model X https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-open-source-model-s-and-model-x-designs-software/ , as well as the Cybertruck. The new feature will roll out with the 2026 Summer Update https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-reveals-2026-summer-update-crazy-fixes-nav-more/ , which Tesla announced last week and subsequently started rolling out to some owners today. The Summer Update is the latest iteration of the usual four seasonal releases the company rolls out throughout the year. These releases typically feature some owner-requested features, as well as improvements to things like the Full Self-Driving suite. Tesla reveals 2026 Summer Update with crazy fixes to Nav and more This release is no different. Among the changes are improvements to Navigation, new customization options with wraps and how they can be shared and stored, more functionality with the Tesla smartphone app, and new gamification with self-driving. However, Tesla announced today that it was adding another feature to the Summer Update. Traction Control Modes will now be available with the release Tesla describes them: “Choose from three updated Traction Control Modes: Auto for normal driving conditions, Slippery Surface for icy or wet roads, Stuck Assist when stuck in snow, mud, or sand. The mode resets to Auto at the start of each drive. To select, go to Controls Dynamics Traction Control Mode.” Tesla’s 2026 Summer Update also includes new Traction Control Modes 📸: @PatchesHQ https://t.co/N9cD2lGP14 pic.twitter.com/ogLC5ROIgc — TESLARATI @Teslarati July 26, 2026 The use of these modes will help improve a Tesla’s overall performance in less-than-ideal conditions. Typically, these traction control modes monitor wheel speed through sensors and track engine power to adjust responsiveness in various conditions. These drive modes are not an ultimate solution to all driving conditions; just because there is a “Stuck Assist,” doesn’t mean your Tesla will dig itself out of a foot-and-a-half trench during a blizzard https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-full-self-driving-shows-confident-navigation-heavy-snow/ . It is important to remember that some of these scenarios also require some assistance from the driver. For example, driving in sand requires tires to be aired down significantly to increase traction and control. However, this will be a welcome addition for those who use the Full Self-Driving suite and might not be convinced of its performance in adverse conditions. Some of us prefer to be in control in rain, snow, or ice, which is totally understandable. However, adjusting the Traction Control Mode while utilizing FSD in snow, rain, or ice could increase confidence and overall experience. Tesla’s Summer Update is already rolling out to some owners, so it should be making its way to most of the fleet over the next several weeks. The Spring Update rolled out at a very conservative pace, so if you don’t have it by the end of August, don’t be too upset. It might just be Tesla’s method. Elon Musk https://www.teslarati.com/category/elon-musk/ SpaceX wants to catch Starship for launch 14, Elon Musk says Just hours after Starship Flight 13 achieved a successful soft splashdown of its upper stage in the Indian Ocean on July 24, Elon Musk announced an ambitious next step for the company’s next launch of the rocket. “Unless we discover problems after mission data review, SpaceX will attempt to catch the ship with the tower on the next flight,” the SpaceX CEO posted on X on Friday. That “next flight” is expected to be Flight 14. The plan involves returning the Starship upper stage, commonly called the “ship,” to the Starbase launch tower in Texas and catching it mid-air using the same mechanical “chopsticks” arms https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-flight-8-results-super-heavy-booster-catch-video/ that have already proven themselves with the Super Heavy booster. Unless we discover problems after mission data review, SpaceX will attempt to catch the ship with the tower on next flight — Elon Musk @elonmusk July 25, 2026 A successful catch would mark the first time an orbital-class upper stage has been recovered this way, advancing SpaceX’s goal of full and rapid reusability for the entire vehicle. SpaceX has already demonstrated the tower-catch technique multiple times with Super Heavy. The first successful catch came on Flight 5 in October 2024 https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-aces-fifth-starship-test-flight-successful-super-heavy-booster-catch/ , when Booster 12 was plucked from the sky by the Mechazilla arms. Subsequent flights, including those involving Boosters 14 and 15, repeated the feat. Several of those recovered boosters were later inspected, refurbished, and flown again, proving the system’s viability for quick turnaround. Traditional reusable rockets, such as SpaceX’s own Falcon 9 or Blue Origin’s New Shepard, land on legs either on land or droneships. Rocket Lab has recovered its small Electron first stages by helicopter, but those are far lighter vehicles. SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology CALT , a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. CASC , completed a catch of its booster on July 10 https://x.com/raz liu/status/2075473449284420083 . They are the only entity besides SpaceX to attempt and complete the feat. Flight 13 https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-just-nailed-something-its-never-done-before/ provided encouraging data. The ship executed a controlled reentry, flipped, and soft-landed intact in the ocean after deploying Starlink satellites, offering the first clear post-splashdown views of an undamaged heat shield. The Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, experienced a harder splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Musk has previously stressed that ship catches would only follow multiple successful soft ocean landings to minimize risk of debris over land. If Flight 14 succeeds, SpaceX would take a major stride toward routine, rapid reuse of both stages—critical for lowering launch costs and supporting ambitious plans for lunar and Mars missions. For now, teams are reviewing the Flight 13 data https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-just-nailed-something-its-never-done-before/ . Should everything check out, the next Starship flight could deliver one of the most spectacular recoveries in aerospace history. Elon Musk https://www.teslarati.com/category/elon-musk/ SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before SpaceX’s Starship flew successfully Friday, landing both stages and deploying its first Starlink V3 satellites. Starship’s thirteenth test flight delivered exactly what SpaceX needed with a clean liftoff, two successful stage recoveries, and the first real payload the vehicle has ever carried to space. Booster 20 and Ship 40 lifted off at 5:51 p.m. CT from Starbase, and by the time the mission wrapped roughly an hour later, both halves of the rocket had done exactly what they were supposed to do. Booster 20 separated from Ship 40 a few minutes into the flight and stuck a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico about six minutes after liftoff. That is a meaningful turnaround from Flight 12 in May, when the booster lost several engines during its boostback burn before a hard water landing attempt. Starship as seen from Starlink satellites pic.twitter.com/e2hvfmnewh — Elon Musk @elonmusk July 25, 2026 Starship 40’s performance was arguably the bigger win. The vehicle deployed the first 20 operational Starlink V3 satellites Starship has ever carried, then flew a suborbital arc to a landing in the Indian Ocean that SpaceX commentator Dan Huot called the company’s softest splashdown yet. “This is a dream scenario for this team that’s trying to get this heat shield data,” Huot said on the live broadcast, according to Space.com’s live coverage. “I’m a little over the moon right now. Wow. Lucky number 13.” Unlike the mass simulators SpaceX flew on Flight 12, these were production Starlink V3 satellites, meant to extend solar arrays and antennas and attempt to link with the broader constellation before reentering minutes later. Getting real hardware through a full deploy sequence on only the second flight of the V3 generation keeps Starship on schedule for the payload work NASA is counting on for future Artemis lunar landings. What an awesome launch, really seems like everything went super well and it was all incredibly smooth. SpaceX is awesome. Very interested to see how the market will respond on Monday pic.twitter.com/KSHmyBfV55 — TESLARATI @Teslarati July 25, 2026 — TESLARATI @Teslarati July 25, 2026 https://x.com/Teslarati/status/2080806318147842406?ref src=twsrc%5Etfw The flight also arrives at a moment when SpaceX needed a win. SPCX has traded below its $135 IPO price since mid-July, as Teslarati reported https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-sends-first-warning-spacex-spcx-short-sellers/ when the mission slipped to Friday, and short interest has climbed to roughly a third of the tradable float. A clean flight will not fix a balance sheet, but it does answer the one question SpaceX absolutely needed answered this week: whether the fixes made after the July 16 abort would hold up under real flight conditions. They did, on both stages, on the first try after the redesign. SpaceX has not set a target date for Flight 14, though the company has said it wants to push toward an orbital attempt on the next mission. After Friday, that goal looks a lot more within reach.