Elon Musk Says He's Been Having 'AI Nightmares' Lately —'If I Could, I Would Certainly Slow Down AI And Robotics, But I Can't'

Elon Musk isn't sleeping well these days — and it's not the launch schedules or Tesla earnings calls. It's AI.

On an episode of "The Katie Miller Podcast" released in December, the Tesla CEO was asked if anything keeps him up at night. He responded, "AI. Yeah, actually." He then said, "I've had a lot of AI nightmares… many days in a row." 

The conversation started with Miller referencing Musk's past claims that people might not need to work in the future. Musk said that belief still holds. "Assuming the current trend of artificial intelligence and robotics continues, which seems likely," he said, "the AI and robots will be able to do anything that humans want them to do."

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He added, "Hopefully not more than that."

The vision Musk described is one where machines don't just assist human labor but replace it entirely. According to him, AI and robotics will be able to provide every good and service society needs. "Work will be optional," he said. "People will be able to do whatever they want with their free time."

Musk made clear this is not a future he is advocating for. "I just want to separate out from what I wish would happen versus what I predict will happen," he said. "People get confused about that. They think that what I predict will happen is what I want to happen."

Then he addressed the pace directly. "If I could, I would certainly slow down AI and robotics," Musk said. "But I can't."

He added that the technology is advancing "at a very rapid pace — whether I like it or not."

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Those comments carry more weight because Musk is not an outside observer. He co-founded OpenAI in 2015 alongside Sam Altman with the original goal of developing artificial intelligence that would benefit humanity. Musk later stepped away from the company in 2018, citing potential conflicts with Tesla's AI work and disagreements over its direction. 

In 2023, he launched xAI as a direct rival to OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic. xAI's chatbot, Grok, is already integrated into his social media platform, and Musk has positioned it as a "maximum truth-seeking" alternative to mainstream models.

At Tesla, AI plays a central role beyond software. The company's Full Self‑Driving system relies on large‑scale neural networks trained on massive amounts of real‑world data. Musk has also pushed aggressively into humanoid robotics with Tesla's Optimus project, which he has said could eventually perform physical labor across factories, warehouses, and homes. At Tesla's annual shareholder meeting last month, Musk has even suggested that robots could one day reduce the need for prisons by intervening before crimes occur.

That backdrop makes his comments about nightmares harder to dismiss.

When Miller asked where those fears show up, Musk answered plainly. "If you say, where do I wake up in nightmares? Oh — AI. Yeah. Actually."

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She later asked about irrational fears. Musk said he does not entertain them. "I try not to have irrational fears. If I find an irrational fear, I squelch it," he said. "I don't believe fear is — fear is the mind killer."

He did not describe the AI concerns as irrational.

The timing matters. AI systems are being rolled out faster than regulatory frameworks can keep up. Governments are debating guardrails. Companies are racing to deploy larger models. Investment in AI infrastructure has surged, and the technology is already reshaping software, transportation, education, and creative work.

Musk sits at the center of that acceleration — building it, funding it, and competing in it — while openly acknowledging that the end result is uncertain.

During the podcast, Musk said he averages six hours of sleep. "I tried having less than six hours sleep, but… my cognitive function is reduced," he said. Six hours is his baseline — and lately, even that seems to come with AI running in the background.

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