Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has stirred global debate after claiming that studying medicine may soon be unnecessary, as humanoid robots are set to outperform human surgeons within the next few years.
Speaking on the Moonshots podcast hosted by Peter Diamandis, the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive said advances in artificial intelligence and robotics would soon make machines better, faster and more accurate than even the world’s best surgeons.
“Right now, there’s a shortage of doctors and great surgeons,” Musk said. “It takes a super long time to train them. Doctors have limited time, they make mistakes. How many great surgeons are there? Not that many.”
When asked directly whether young people should still consider medical school, Musk replied bluntly: “Yes. Pointless.”
He pointed to developments such as Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, and Neuralink’s surgical robot — used to implant ultra-thin electrodes into the human brain — as evidence that machines are already surpassing human precision in delicate medical procedures.
This is not the first time Musk has predicted the decline of human surgeons. In April 2025, he claimed robots would soon master surgery, citing their ability to operate with microscopic accuracy and without fatigue.
However, medical experts have pushed back against Musk’s claims, warning that healthcare cannot function without human judgement, accountability and ethical responsibility, regardless of technological progress.
While robotic-assisted surgery continues to expand worldwide, specialists insist that machines are unlikely to fully replace doctors, especially in complex decision-making, patient care and emergency situations.
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