Elon Musk has a solution for AI threat to jobs

The job market in a difficult stage. With the advent of artificial intelligence, fewer hands are needed to do the same amount of work.

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects that 92 million roles will be displaced by 2030, while 41% of employers globally plan to reduce their workforce in areas where AI can automate tasks within the next five years. 

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman once stated that customer support jobs will be "totally, totally gone," and computer programmers would be "ten times more productive" with AI.  

Now Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has gone further, warning that AI can potentially eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. 

But Tesla CEO Elon Musk thinks not all hope is lost. 

Related: 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' author says AI job cuts could spark next global crash

Musk's solution sparks debate

Musk, in a post on X on April 17, proposed a solution for the growing threat of AI on jobs.

"Universal HIGH INCOME via checks issued by the Federal government is the best way to deal with unemployment caused by AI."

According to Musk, AI and robotics will produce goods and services far in excess of any increase in the money supply, making inflation a non-issue. 

In his vision, work becomes optional in a post-scarcity world, an idea he's been building toward for years. 

But not everyone is convinced a government check solves the deeper problem.

Andrew Torba, founder of microblogging platform Gab, pushed back, arguing that "handing people a check isn't going to solve the crisis of meaning and the spiritual void in people's lives." 

He questioned about how the policy would work in practice: who sets the amount, whether a crack addict receives the same as a high-potential young professional, and how people derive a sense of purpose when the job that gave them community is gone. 

"Remove the job that gives someone some small sense of purpose," Torba wrote, "and it's a recipe for disaster that no amount of money will solve."

Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) fired back at Musk, asking whether he would be willing to support a "modest" tax on trillionaires and billionaires to fund checks for working families, referring to a $3,000 proposal he co-authored with Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) for households under $150,000. 

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Crypto is hiring and firing fast

Whatever happens in Washington, one corner of the job market isn't waiting around. The global crypto job market added 66,494 new roles in 2025, a 47% rebound from 2024, with roughly 1.6 million professionals now employed across the industry.

Blockchain developers have seen a 250% demand increase since 2023, compliance roles grew more than 35% year-over-year, and global crypto salaries rose approximately 18% year-on-year. 

The global blockchain market is projected to reach $163 billion by the end of 2026, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 56.3%.

However, the sector is not devoid of layoffs. 

In fact, in the first quarter of 2026, many blockchain and crypto firms like OKX,MANTRA, Gemini Space Station and Algorand Foundation have cut off a significant proportion of their workforce. The reasons range from regular restructuring, uncertain market conditions to a major drop in token values. 

In fact, just a day before Musk proposed his solution, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chair Mike Selig said that his team is leaning into AI and automation as it faces massive new oversight responsibilities, surveilance and investigations. 

Related: BlackRock posts high-paying crypto job openings in U.S.