Elon Musk said that artificial intelligence and robots are the only way the United States can solve its national debt problem. He made the statement in an interview with his biographer Walter Isaacson, which is part of the new podcast “The Builders with Walter Isaacson“.
“The only way to solve the national debt is through artificial intelligence and robots. We will not solve it by just saving,“ Musk said. The interview will be published as part of a series, the first episode of which is due out on Tuesday.
Musk admits DOGE failed to reduce the deficit
The entrepreneur said that the work of DOGE - the structure with which he was associated during his stay in Washington - has shown that the budget deficit cannot be solved “from within the government“. Axios described the experiment as a failure and pointed out that Musk's words leave open the possibility that a future administration could try again, but with the help of more advanced artificial intelligence systems.
According to him, the political will to reduce spending is lacking in the presidential institution, the House of Representatives, the Senate and the judiciary. "Virtually no one in government wants to cut spending," Musk said, citing Senator Rand Paul as one of the rare exceptions.
Deficit and interest rates continue to rise
The problem Musk is talking about is the persistent gap between the federal government's revenue and spending. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the deficit for fiscal year 2026 at $2 trillion. The agency expects net interest costs on the national debt to reach about $1 trillion.
The Government Accountability Office reported that the national debt held by public creditors was $31.3 trillion in April. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it will grow from 101 percent of gross domestic product in 2026 to 120 percent in 2036.
„I should have gotten back to AI sooner“
Musk admitted that he spent too much time away from his companies while working with the administration. He said that his official involvement in the White House lasted four months, but he should have stayed behind the scenes more and gotten back to AI sooner.
Sources: axios.com