Musk Regrets $200 Million Trump Alliance, Predicts AI Will Outthink Humans in 5 Years
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 23
Musk Regrets $200 Million Trump Alliance, Predicts AI Will Outthink Humans in 5 Years
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 23
Summary
Elon Musk said he "got carried away" in politics during his alliance with Donald Trump, after spending $200 million to help elect him in 2024 and then leading Doge.
That role put Musk in charge of about $150 billion in budget cuts and tens of thousands of federal job losses; he had already said in December he likely would have focused on his companies instead.
In the Economist interview, Musk said AI could exceed the sum of human intelligence within five years and make most digital and physical work optional, with workplace robots driving abundance within 10 years.
He tied that vision to his own businesses, saying a merged AI venture and SpaceX could handle cognitive tasks while Tesla builds humanoids, potentially powered by space-based datacenters that some experts call catastrophic for Earth.
Musk also repeated contentious political views, backing Russian territorial gains in a Ukraine peace deal, predicting UK civil war within 20 years, and arguing mass automation may require "universal high income" and even trillions in tax.
With plans for space-based AI datacenters, is Musk building humanity's salvation or a new, 'catastrophic' single point of failure?
After dismantling the loan office that once saved Tesla, what is Musk's true vision for government's role in technological innovation?
How can 'universal high income' succeed when experts warn it could spark massive inflation in a world still facing housing shortages?
Musk, DOGE, and the Trump Alliance: How a Radical Efficiency Drive Reshaped U.S. Government and Industry (2024–2026)
Overview
In mid-2026, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reached its planned end, fulfilling its self-destructive mandate set by an executive order from President Trump. Elon Musk, who co-led DOGE, publicly expressed regret and ended his alliance with the Trump administration. This split was driven by policy disagreements, especially over the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' and Musk’s growing disillusionment with the political process. The episode highlighted the challenges of applying private-sector efficiency to government and revealed deep policy differences, marking the end of a bold but controversial experiment in tech-driven governance.