In 2025, AI was linked to nearly 55,000 job cuts in the U.S., according to consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas (2). Major companies — including Amazon, Salesforce and Oracle — have cut thousands of roles, citing AI as a contributing factor.
The start of 2026 hasn't offered much relief. Challenger estimates that roughly 30,000 additional jobs have already been lost to AI this year (3).
Universal income, of course, isn't a new idea. The most widely discussed version — universal basic income — involves providing every citizen with a regular cash payment, regardless of employment status or income.
Musk's proposal takes that concept a step further, suggesting not just a basic income to cover necessities, but a high level of income distributed broadly across society.
One of the biggest sticking points in proposals like this has traditionally been inflation. Critics often argue that injecting large amounts of money into the economy risks driving up prices, especially if demand rises faster than supply.
Musk, however, says that may not apply in this case.
"AI/robotics will produce goods & services far in excess of the increase in the money supply, so there will not be inflation," he wrote.
In his view, advances in automation and productivity could dramatically increase the supply of goods and services — potentially offsetting the inflationary pressure that might otherwise come from a surge in money circulating through the economy.
The message appears to have struck a chord. At the time of writing, Musk's post has garnered more than 68 million views, along with 195,000 likes and 46,000 comments.
Some online responses have pushed back on the premise. One widely liked reply questioned whether abundance would dilute the value of money altogether, asking: "If money means nothing, what determines who gets the penthouse suite?"