What will Musk's AI world look like in 5 years?

On November 1, 2025, Musk sat in a podcast recording studio, speaking for more than three hours without a teleprompter, naturally expressing himself throughout.

He talks about models, robots, starships, and many political and social controversies. But one thing has always remained the same about the future: he wants to use AI to reconstruct the underlying operating methods of the world.

The development of AI goes beyond language interaction or content generation; more importantly, it is about understanding the world, accessing processes, and driving transformation in key areas.

At this moment, a clear contrast emerges: OpenAI talks about products, Google talks about ecosystems, while Musk talks about the structure of civilization.

In this interview, he outlined the complete picture of AI over the next 5 to 6 years:

• The application will disappear, and the operating system will no longer exist;
• The phone only has a screen and audio, all interactions are completed by AI;
• Robots do not imitate humans, but rather replace most physical labor;
• Work will no longer be a means of livelihood, but a personal choice.

This is not a fantasy, it is a roadmap. Musk is not predicting the future, he is building it.

Section 1 | From Search Engines to Action Systems: The Ambition of Grok

In the podcast, Musk first questioned the existing search model. He believes that letting users search, filter, and judge for themselves essentially shifts the work that AI should be doing onto humans.

“The future is not 'searching for answers', but 'taking action'.” He said that Grok is a system designed according to this logic.

The logic of traditional search engines is: they give you ten links and let you make the judgment yourself. But Grok's goal is: to directly tell you the answer or directly help you complete the task.

The support behind this is Grokipedia. Unlike the crowdsourcing model of Wikipedia, Grokipedia allows AI to directly read information from the entire web, assess credibility, and provide conclusions. Musk said its principle is accuracy, not pleasing the users.

Specifically, where are the differences between Grok and traditional search?

For example, a medical inquiry:

• Traditional search: gives you a bunch of medical website links
• Grok: Directly tells you “This drug has three clinical trials, two of which are questioned, and the risks outweigh the benefits.”

This is not just information aggregation, but a return of judgment to the individual.

Going further, Grok is not satisfied with just answering questions; it wants to perform tasks.

You asked: What movies are suitable for children to watch this weekend?

• Traditional search: provides you with movie reviews, screening schedules, ratings
• Grok: Filter violent content → Compare age → Open ticket purchasing page

In Musk's view, Grok is not an upgraded version of a search tool, but an intelligent system that can understand intent, make judgments, and take action.

Users no longer need to click, navigate, or filter, but can directly state their intentions, allowing AI to drive the entire process: understanding → judgment → execution → feedback.

The essence of Grok is not to replace search, but to redefine the relationship between people and information.

Section 2 | The Revolution of Interaction Methods: From Clicks to Conversations

If Grok is to become an action system, how can these actions be triggered? Musk provided a clear answer on the podcast: change the way we interact.

The future device form he described is very clear: within 5 to 6 years, mobile phones will no longer have operating systems and apps; the devices will only retain two functions: screen and voice.

What does this mean?

There are no app icons to click, no interface to switch between, so how do you interact with AI? The answer is simple: speak.

In the podcast, Musk elaborated on this logic:

Future devices will be “edge nodes of AI reasoning,” where server-side AI communicates in real time with device-side AI to generate any content you need on demand.

And voice will become the main way to trigger all of this.

Imagine a specific scenario:

Now: Open the App → Search for flights → Compare prices → Fill in information → Pay → Receive email

Future: Say “Help me book a flight to Shanghai tomorrow afternoon” → AI completes the entire process.

This is not an upgrade of the voice assistant, but a reconstruction of the interaction logic. It is no longer about humans adapting to machines (clicking, inputting, waiting), but about machines understanding humans (listening, judging, executing).

In this system, Grok's capabilities can truly be unleashed:

• You express your intention
• AI understands context
• Call necessary information
• Complete specific actions
• Feedback Result

This is the meaning of “edge node” as mentioned by Musk: devices are no longer carriers of functions, but rather triggers for AI capabilities.

This is the beginning of the “No APP Era,” and the gateway is your voice.

Section 3 | Robots: The Carrier of AI into the Physical World

Grok and voice interaction address the problems of the digital world: information retrieval, content generation, and task judgment. However, to truly change real life, AI needs a carrier that can take action in the physical world.

This is the meaning of the robot.

Elon Musk has a specific view of robots: robots are not designed to mimic human appearance, but rather to be physical entities that perform human tasks. The emphasis is not on whether they look like humans, but on whether they can get the job done.

Specifically: AI is responsible for understanding and decision-making, while robots are responsible for execution and feedback. You express your needs through voice, AI determines how to accomplish it, and robots carry out the tasks effectively in the real world.

This logic is in line with what was discussed earlier about Grok: extending from the “understanding → action” in the information world to the “understanding → action” in the physical world.

To achieve this, future robots need three core capabilities:

• Perception Ability —— Identifying the environment through the visual system, determining the position of objects, and assessing operational risks.
• Comprehension Ability —— Receive AI instructions and break them down into executable specific steps
• Execution Capability —— Accurately perform operations in a real environment and provide feedback on the results.

Only when these three links are connected can the robot transform from a moving model into a working tool.

Musk mentioned that the key advancement of Optimus is not in the mechanical structure, but in the deep integration of the AI system. In other words, making the robot able to understand, think clearly, and do the right things, which is a more important breakthrough than the design of its appearance.

For example, you say: “Help me organize the warehouse”

→ AI understands tasks, plans paths, identifies objects

→ Robots perform handling, sorting, and stacking

→ Provide feedback results upon completion

Throughout the entire process, humans only need to express their intentions, and the rest is completed by AI and robots.

The real application scenarios of Optimus are not in daily household use, but in the production end: factory assembly lines, logistics sorting, warehouse management, equipment maintenance… all those areas with high repetition, significant danger, and heavy labor costs.

From Grok to voice, and then to robots, what Musk is building is a complete AI system that goes from cognition to action, from digital to physical.

The ultimate direction of this system is a transformation of civilization.

Section Four | The Ultimate Vision: From Work Society to Abundant Civilization

When Grok, voice, and robots come together, they point not only to a technological upgrade but also to a larger social transformation.

In the second half of the interview, Musk talked about a question that many people dare not think about: what will human society look like when AI and robots can do most of the work?

His answer is: Universal High Income.

This is not the kind of subsidy that barely maintains basic living standards like universal basic income, but true abundance. Everyone will be able to have any goods and services they desire, and poverty will be completely eliminated.

It sounds like a utopia, but Musk has provided a clear path to realization:

Step 1: AI + Robotics significantly reduce production costs

When AI handles all digital work and robots take on physical labor, the cost of goods and services will decrease exponentially.

Step 2: Work becomes optional

It's not unemployment, but rather the choice not to work. Those who want to work can continue to do so, while those who do not want to work can still live with dignity.

Step 3: Humanity Redefines Meaning

When people no longer worry about survival, they can spend their time on things they are truly interested in: creation, exploration, learning, and companionship.

Musk said this is a society of “sustainable prosperity”: one that does not harm the natural environment, but where everyone has a prosperous life.

But this future has one prerequisite: AI must be safe.

The clearest thing he said throughout the interview was that AI must pursue the truth to the greatest extent possible. AI should not be trained to only say what you want to hear, and it must not be programmed with excessive political correctness (which Musk referred to as “woke mind virus”).

He gave an example: when certain AIs are trained to be diversified, they may reach absurd conclusions. The best way to ensure that no one is offended is to eliminate all humans.

This is not a joke, but a real risk.

This is also why Grok was designed from the very beginning to be the ultimate truth seeker: it can be humorous, it can be teasing, but it must be honest in factual judgment. In assessing the value of human life, Grok is the only AI that “treats all humans equally.”

Musk said that his reason for doing xAI and Grok is not just to participate in the AI competition, but to ensure that at least one AI is on the side of humanity.

From this perspective, Grok, voice interaction, and the Optimus robot are not just products, but the infrastructure leading to a future of “sustainable prosperity.”

What he is building is a complete system that allows AI to understand the world, communicate with people, and act in reality. The ultimate goal of this system is not to make AI smarter, but to make humanity more free.

This is the future that Musk is betting on.

A civilization form that is optional in work, materially abundant, and customized in meaning.

Conclusion｜This is not a prophecy, it is the future that is happening.

In this 3-hour interview, Musk did not discuss parameters or present a technical roadmap. He talked about how AI is reshaping the underlying logic of human life.

From Grok to voice, from robots to universally high incomes, each step is not an isolated product, but rather the infrastructure for a prosperous society in the future.

While others are competing for the AI market, Musk is designing an operating system for a new civilization.

In the coming time, changes may not appear in the form of blockbuster products, but rather in the subtle shifts of the tools, interaction methods, and work styles around you.

By then, the question will no longer be how powerful AI is, but whether we are ready to embrace a world where work is optional and material abundance is the norm?

The answer may be just in these few years.