[Musk: AI May Surpass Human Intelligence Within 5 Years, Currency Importance Could Decline in 10 Years] BlockBeats News, July 24 — Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk stated in a 90-minute interview with *The Economist* that artificial intelligence could surpass human intelligence levels within the next five years. He predicted that in about 10 years, AI and robotics might drive the world into an era of "high abundance." Musk believes that once AI systems and robots possess sufficiently powerful digital intelligence and production capabilities, the global economy could approach a state of "infinite supply," where human labor would no longer be a necessary condition for sustaining life, and the importance of currency might gradually diminish. He stated that if there are enough robots in the future, society could achieve a "quasi-infinite economy," with AI producing goods and services beyond human consumption capacity. He even predicted that by around 2036, the significance of traditional monetary systems might noticeably decline. Regarding the future economic model, Musk suggested that governments might maintain societal operations by directly distributing funds to citizens. He also noted that the productivity gains brought by AI could lead to deflation rather than inflation. However, Musk acknowledged that the economic structure in the AI era might differ significantly from traditional economic principles, particularly concerning issues like corporate profitability, government revenue sources, and societal transformation. Additionally, Musk discussed the integration of AI with space development. He mentioned the possibility of using space-based data centers to support AI computation in the future and reiterated humanity's long-term plans for exploring Mars. During the interview, Musk also reflected on his previous involvement with the Trump administration's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE). He admitted that he had invested too much energy in politics, saying he had been "somewhat led astray," and expressed that if given the chance to choose again, he might dedicate more time to his own companies. [Original Link]