Elon Musk Says AI Progress Is Now Too Advanced to Stop
Key Takeaways
- •Musk has reversed his 2023 stance of calling for a pause on advanced AI development, now describing progress in the field as unstoppable.
- •Musk predicts AI will exceed the sum total of human intelligence within approximately five years and that humans will likely no longer be in control within ten years.
- •Despite maintaining a 10% to 20% probability that AI could lead to humanity's extinction, Musk argues against pressing a stop button on development.
- •Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a counterweight to Google, and both OpenAI and its spinoff Anthropic continue advancing frontier models ahead of regulatory frameworks.
- •Washington has cleared OpenAI's GPT-5.6 for widespread deployment as the AI boom draws capital away from cryptocurrency markets.
Elon Musk says artificial intelligence has advanced to the point where it can no longer be stopped, even by him. The xAI founder made the comments in an interview with The Economist.
Musk spoke with The Economist’s Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes in an interview recorded on Monday, before OpenAI disclosed that one of its frontier models had gone rogue.
Elon Musk thinks AI could surpass the combined intelligence of humanity within five years. In his latest interview with @TheEconomist , he said there may soon be almost nothing AI cannot do better than humans. pic.twitter.com/BMzuZOAkAR — BeInCrypto (@beincrypto) July 23, 2026
Musk Says AI Has Become Unstoppable
Musk’s latest position marks a shift from March 2023, when he signed the Future of Life Institute’s open letter calling for a six-month pause on AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. Months after signing that letter, he launched his own AI company, xAI. He now says the technology has no practical brakes.
That change matters because Musk has been both a public critic of unchecked AI development and an active participant in the race to build frontier models. His comments frame the debate less around whether AI progress can be halted and more around how companies and governments respond as development continues.
“I mean honestly, there seems to be just inexorable progress here in AI and in robots that even if I wanted to stop it, I couldn’t.”
Musk said his concerns about AI risks have not disappeared. He reaffirmed his earlier estimate that there is a 10% to 20% chance that killer robots could wipe out humanity.
“I still think there’s risk associated with AI and robots. It’s not zero.”
Even so, Musk argued against shutting AI development down. He said that even if a stop button existed, “we probably shouldn’t press it,” because he believes the most likely outcome is abundance for all. He summarized his current view in a single phrase.
“Yeah, I mean, yes, pretty much, let’s enjoy the ride, is my philosophy at this point.”
Musk Predicts Superintelligence Within Five Years
Musk also gave a timeline for when AI could surpass human intelligence.
“I think AI may exceed the sum of human intelligence in about and around five years.”
He added that within 10 years, humans will likely no longer be in charge. Musk compared the potential intelligence gap between AI and people to the gap between humans and chimpanzees.
Musk acknowledged his own role in accelerating the field. He co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as “essentially a counterweight to Google.” Anthropic later spun out of OpenAI. Both companies now continue to move ahead of regulators, while Washington has cleared OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 for broad rollout.
“So it just seems like all roads lead to acceleration of AI. So then I’m like, OK, well, you can just sort of be sad about it or join the club, I suppose.”
The implications extend beyond Silicon Valley. The AI boom has already drawn capital away from crypto listings, while AI-related tokens have moved sharply around major breakthroughs. Musk, described as the world’s richest man, has now said the AI race is unstoppable.
The interview is available at economist.com.