“Going to Medical School Is Pointless”: Elon Musk Says Robots Will Replace Human Surgeons by 2030

Elon Musk has said that pursuing a medical degree may soon be unnecessary, arguing that AI-powered robots will surpass human surgeons within the next few years.

Speaking on the Moonshots podcast hosted by Peter Diamandis, the Tesla and SpaceX chief claimed that humanoid robots, including Tesla’s Optimus, would outperform the world’s best surgeons by around 2030. According to Musk, advances in artificial intelligence and robotics will make machine-led surgery faster, more precise, and more reliable than work done by humans.

Musk criticised the current medical training system, describing it as slow and inefficient. He said doctors require many years of education and experience, yet are still prone to fatigue and error.

“There’s a shortage of doctors and great surgeons,” Musk said during the interview. “It takes a very long time to become highly skilled. Doctors have limited time, and they make mistakes. There are not that many truly great surgeons.”

When Diamandis asked whether that meant people should stop going to medical school, Musk replied bluntly: “Yes. Pointless.”

This is not the first time Musk has made such a prediction. In April 2025, he said robots would soon master surgical procedures, citing Neuralink’s surgical robot, which implants ultra-thin electrodes into the brain with a level of precision that is difficult for human hands to match.

Robotic systems are already widely used in operating rooms to assist with complex procedures. However, many medical experts caution that technology alone cannot replace doctors. They argue that patient care depends on human judgement, ethical decision-making, and accountability—areas where machines still fall short.

Despite Musk’s confidence, the timeline and extent of fully autonomous robotic surgery remain subjects of debate within the medical and scientific communities.