Elon Musk says he got ‘too involved’ in politics during DOGE stint, won’t do it again

Elon Musk said he became too involved in politics during his alliance with Donald Trump and his tenure leading the Department of Government Efficiency initiative.

“I think I got a little too involved in politics, got carried away, frankly,” Musk said in an interview with The Economist published Thursday.

Musk did not elaborate on the admission, but it followed earlier comments in which he described DOGE as only somewhat successful and said he would have focused on his companies instead had he been given another opportunity.

The billionaire backed Trump’s 2024 campaign with about $200 million before joining the administration’s cost cutting initiative, which claimed roughly $150 billion in reductions and led to widespread federal job losses.

During the interview, Musk also discussed the rapid development of artificial intelligence, predicting that AI systems could surpass the combined intelligence of humans within five years and make most physical and digital work optional.

He said widespread automation could eventually create an era of abundance in which governments distribute a universal high income and money becomes less important. Musk acknowledged that advanced AI carries serious risks but argued that its potential benefits outweigh the danger.

Musk also called for leading AI companies to review one another’s most advanced models before release, arguing that industry cooperation should be the first response to emerging safety risks.