A quarter-century ago, Sun Microsystems cofounder Bill Joy published a stark warning in his essay “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us,” cautioning that emerging technologies could render humans obsolete. Now, that future is within reach.
Recently, billionaire Elon Musk predicted that artificial intelligence and robotics would free most people from work within two decades, envisioning a world where income is guaranteed and labor becomes optional.
The Trump administration has reportedly pivoted its attention to automated labor and humanoid robots as part of an effort to bolster the U.S. workforce. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been meeting with robotics industry leaders and is said to be “all in” on accelerating the sector’s development. Sources indicate the administration plans to issue an executive order next year to advance these technologies.
The Department of Commerce has stated that robotics and advanced manufacturing are central to bringing critical production back to the United States. Legislative efforts have also emerged, including a Republican amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have created a national robotics commission—but it was not included in the final bill.
However, this push raises significant concerns. Experts warn that the widespread adoption of humanoid robots could undermine President Trump’s goal of reviving American manufacturing jobs. Historically, technological shifts have replaced entire industries while creating new ones; but the current wave may produce entities far surpassing human capabilities in intelligence and efficiency.
If autonomous systems become more adept than humans at critical tasks, they could rapidly displace workers across multiple sectors. This scenario would challenge existing economic models and prompt urgent questions about how to support displaced citizens without resorting to measures that might exacerbate social divisions.
Critics note that the current trajectory risks reducing human value to purely economic utility—a perspective already evident in discussions about immigration and labor markets.