Musk: "Don't Go to Medical School... Robots Will Replace Surgeons Within Three Years"

"Robot Surgical Skills Expected to Surpass Top Human Surgeons"
"Time and Cost of Training Doctors Is Inefficient"

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, argued that pursuing a medical degree is no longer a rational choice, citing the rapid advancement of humanoid robots. He predicted that robots will surpass human surgeons within just a few years.

Elon Musk is attending the US-Saudi Investment Forum held in Washington D.C., USA, on November 19, 2025. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

Musk recently appeared on a podcast hosted by American entrepreneur Peter Diamandis, where he shared his views on the future of healthcare. In a conversation with Diamandis, who is a Harvard Medical School graduate and former physician, Musk pointed out the structural limitations of the current medical system.

He stated, "It takes too much time and money to become a skilled doctor," adding, "Medical knowledge evolves so rapidly that keeping up with all of it is inherently inefficient." He further noted, "Doctors are human, so they are inevitably subject to time constraints and mistakes."

Musk mentioned Tesla's humanoid robot under development, 'Optimus,' and predicted that within about three years, this robot will be able to perform surgeries more precisely than the best human surgeons. He said, "Eventually, there could be more Optimus robots performing superior surgeries than the total number of surgeons on Earth."

Musk cited the acceleration of technological advancement as the driving force behind these changes. He explained, "AI software performance, semiconductor computing power, and electro-mechanical precision are all growing exponentially. If you add to this the ability for robots to manufacture other robots and share learning outcomes, the pace of progress will accelerate even further."

Musk claimed that if robotic medicine becomes widespread, access to healthcare will be dramatically improved. He stated, "Once commercialized, everyone in the world will be able to receive medical services that exceed the level currently available only to heads of state."

When the host asked, "Does this mean people should not go to medical school?" Musk replied firmly, "Yes." He added, "This trend could apply not only to medical education but to higher education overall. Before long, medical school could be seen as an expensive hobby activity."

Musk cited vision correction surgery as an example of a procedure that has already been largely automated. He said, "Procedures using lasers are far more precise when performed by machines than by human hands. No matter how skilled a doctor is, they cannot avoid minute hand tremors." He emphasized, "For sensitive areas like the eyes, it is safer for robots to perform the procedure than for humans to do it directly."

Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, recently presented its next-generation AI system for operating humanoid robots as a key objective during an investor briefing. Musk has projected that the future price of Optimus will be in the range of $20,000 to $30,000 (approximately 30 million to 44 million Korean won), although he noted that mass production has not yet begun.