Elon Musk Believes He Could Probably Extend The Human Lifespan And Solve Longevity Issues … 'But I Don't Want To' — His Reason? Because People Need To Die For Society To Progress

Elon Musk, a visionary entrepreneur known for groundbreaking ventures such as SpaceX and Tesla Inc., has long been at the forefront of innovation, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in technology and space exploration. 

But when it comes to the topic of human longevity and the possibility of extending life, Musk offers a unique perspective that blends technological optimism with a nuanced understanding of societal implications. 

In a 2022 appearance on the Full Send Podcast, Musk shared his insights on a range of subjects, from his spontaneous approach to social media to the profound question of human longevity.

The discussion on longevity emerged from a broader conversation about Musk’s fearless use of X, where he mentioned not having a “death wish” despite sometimes engaging in risky public challenges. This led to a deeper inquiry: Could humanity develop technologies to significantly extend life? Musk’s response was both thoughtful and revealing.

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He expressed ambivalence about the pursuit of technologies that would enable humans to live significantly longer lives. 

“Longevity and so yeah, I don’t know if we should have longevity because the people who will get the longevity capability first are probably people you wouldn’t want to live that long,” he said. Musk articulated a concern that advancements in longevity might initially benefit a privileged few, potentially exacerbating social inequalities.

He elaborated on the potential downsides of such advancements, stating, “I think a lot of people in power who you wouldn’t want them to have some super longevity situation because then they’d never be out of power.” This reflects Musk’s awareness of the potential for longevity technologies to entrench existing power structures, hindering societal progress.

Despite acknowledging the feasibility of extending human life, Musk shared his disinterest in pursuing this goal. “I think I could probably solve longevity to some degree, but I don’t want to,” he said, highlighting a deliberate choice not to focus his efforts on this area.

“When people get old, they don’t change their minds; they just die. So, if you want to have progress in society, you got to make sure that people need to die because they don’t change their mind,” he said. "If all children lived for a long super long time I think society would get very stale." 

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Musk suggests that an advanced version of Neuralink, his brain-computer interface company, could potentially enable the recording of a person’s “save state,” akin to a snapshot of their consciousness. While acknowledging that such technology would not replicate an individual’s identity perfectly, Musk draws a parallel to the daily human experience, noting that people slightly change from the moment they fall asleep to when they wake up.

His reflections on longevity offer a glimpse into the ethical and philosophical considerations that accompany the potential to extend human life. While the technical capability may exist or eventually be developed, Musk’s comments prompt a broader discussion on the implications of such advancements for society, power dynamics and the nature of human progress.

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