“Going to medical school is pointless now because robots will replace human surgeons by 2030,” Elon Musk says.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has predicted that human surgeons will soon be replaced by AI-powered robots, claiming that medical degrees could become unnecessary in the near future.

Speaking on the Moonshots podcast hosted by Peter Diamandis, Musk argued that humanoid robots such as Tesla’s Optimus will outperform the world’s best surgeons within three years. He explained that the current system of training doctors is slow and inefficient, and human surgeons are limited by time and errors.

Musk highlighted the global shortage of doctors, saying:

Training doctors takes a very long time

Doctors are prone to mistakes

There are not many truly exceptional surgeons

When Diamandis asked whether people should still pursue medical school, Musk responded bluntly:

“Yes. Pointless.”

This is not the first time Musk has made such a prediction. In April 2025, he claimed robots would soon master surgery, referring to Neuralink’s surgical robot, which implants ultra-thin electrodes into the brain with a precision that human hands may struggle to match.

However, experts caution that robotic surgery, despite its rapid progress, still requires human judgement, accountability, and ethical responsibility—qualities that machines cannot fully replace.

Elon Musk on AI and robotics impact on medical care
“Everyone will have access to medical care that is better than what the president receives right now. So don't go to medical school? Yes, pointless.”
pic.twitter.com/Iow9tS6Gba

— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) January 23, 2026