Mandatory Inactivity Looms

It seems our visionary futurist, renowned for revolutionizing everything from electric vehicles to interplanetary travel, has once again graced us with insights into the rapidly approaching epoch. Speaking at the decidedly low-stakes U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, a gathering presumably focused on the thrilling irrelevance of capital, he revealed that humanity is on the cusp of a glorious era where work will be entirely “optional.” And, crucially, money will cease to matter, replaced presumably by… well, he didn't quite specify, but one imagines a collective sense of purpose derived from admiring his innovations.

This utopian vision, reminiscent of Isaac Asimov's more optimistic robot narratives, suggests that advances in artificial intelligence will render human labor obsolete. One can only assume this applies to everyone *else's* labor, naturally. For the rest of us, it conjures images of endless leisure spent admiring the vast wealth accumulated by those who cleverly brought about this labor-free paradise. After all, someone has to own the robots.