ELI5: Explain why Elon musk says we will all be rich and will not have to work

Elon Musk believes that in the future, friendly robots and artificial intelligence will do all the hard work for us, making everything we need so cheap and plentiful that everyone can live comfortably without needing a traditional job.

Think about a magical toy factory in your neighborhood. Right now, making a toy bicycle takes real people who need to build the metal frame, paint it, pack it into a box, and drive a big truck to bring it to the store. Because people have to spend their time and energy doing all that, the bicycle costs a lot of pocket money.

Musk's idea is that very smart robots, like his Optimus robot, will take over those chores:

• Robots grow the food: Mechanical helpers plant seeds, pick vegetables, and bake bread all day and night without ever getting tired or needing a break.
• Robots build the houses: Instead of builders working in the cold rain, machines can stack bricks and fix roofs in just a few hours.
• Robots run the errands: Driverless cars and drones can bring groceries directly to your kitchen.

Musk calls this world an economy of abundance. In this future, the government would give everyone a universal high income, which is like receiving a giant, never-ending allowance just for being alive. You would not need to work to pay for rent or cereal.

In your everyday life, this means your parents would not have to leave for the office early in the morning, and no one would have to do dirty or boring tasks like scrubbing toilets or standing behind a cash register. Instead, work would become an optional hobby, like painting a picture or building with blocks, simply because it is fun.