The owner of Tesla and SpaceX reacted sharply to a publication describing the large-scale demographic changes and emergency measures in Singapore. In his comment, the entrepreneur laconically but startlingly stated: “People are disappearing“. The reason for his words was the news, originally published by the Financial Times, that the Singapore government will pay over $55,000 in support to a family for each child from birth to 17 years of age.
The city-state is in an unprecedented crisis and in 2026 it is expected to officially become a “super-aging“ society, where over 21% of the population is over 65 years of age. To maintain a stable population, a fertility rate of 2.1 is needed, while on a global scale the indicators are falling to critical levels.
Musk also shared data on the demographic situation in the United States. There is also a persistent trend towards a decrease in the birth rate below the population reproduction level. For years, he has defended the thesis that population collapse is a much greater threat to our survival than global warming.
Artificial intelligence as the second major existential threat
In addition to the demographic crisis, Elon Musk continues to be concerned about the risks associated with the development of technology. In a recent interview with the German business publication The Economist, the billionaire confirmed that he estimates the risk of humanity's extinction due to advanced artificial intelligence (AI) at around 10% to 20%.
While he believes that the more likely scenario is the entry into an "age of abundance" thanks to automation, he calls on leading AI companies to strictly control safety. According to his predictions, also disseminated by NDTV, within a decade artificial intelligence could surpass human capabilities to the point where it would become extremely difficult to control.
To ensure the long-term survival of our species, Musk is accelerating the plans of SpaceX and its superheavy Starship rocket. The main goal in the long term remains the colonization of Mars, which would serve as a kind of "backup" for human consciousness in the event of a global cataclysm on Earth.