Elon Musk says that in a future powered by advanced AI and robotics, traditional money may not matter much anymore. Instead, he believes energy — and energy-backed assets like Bitcoin — could remain the real foundation of value.
Musk shared these ideas on a podcast with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath. He said that if AI and robots eventually become capable enough to meet all human needs, money would lose its purpose as a way to organize labor and production.
“If AI and robotics can handle everything we need, the importance of money drops a lot,” Musk explained. He compared this idea to the Culture series by author Iain Banks, which imagines a society where people get whatever they need without using money.
Still, Musk said some things will always hold value — especially energy. He called energy a “fundamental currency,” something rooted in physics rather than politics. He also pointed to Bitcoin as an example of this concept. Bitcoin relies on proof-of-work mining, which requires real electricity and hardware. In Musk’s view, that gives the digital asset a link to the physical world that traditional currencies don’t have.
“You can’t legislate energy,” Musk said. “You can’t just pass a law and magically create more of it.”
He suggested that whoever controls strong, efficient energy production will hold real economic power in the future — a concept that fits neatly with Bitcoin’s design, where electricity and computing power create digital scarcity.
Of course, Bitcoin’s energy use is still heavily debated. Critics worry about carbon emissions and strain on electrical grids, while supporters argue mining can help expand renewable energy and improve grid stability.
Musk didn’t give a timeline for when — or if — society might move to an energy-based value system. For now, that future depends on major advances in AI and robotics that haven’t happened yet. Traditional currencies still dominate global payments, savings, and wages. Bitcoin remains mostly an investment asset and an alternative financial system, not a replacement for everyday money.
