“Med School Is ‘Pointless’? Elon Musk Says Robot Surgeons Could Eclipse Human Docs Soon”

Elon Musk has ignited a fresh firestorm over the future of healthcare after telling the Moonshots podcast that traditional medical school could soon be obsolete; thanks to AI-powered robots taking over surgery and other medical duties.

Speaking with host Peter Diamandis, the billionaire founder of Tesla, SpaceX and Neuralink laid out a bold and controversial timeline. Musk claimed that autonomous, AI-driven robots like Tesla’s humanoid Optimus could outperform the best human surgeons “at scale” within just three years.
When Diamandis asked whether aspiring doctors should skip medical school, Musk didn’t mince words: “Yes. Pointless.”

Musk’s argument centers on three big points. One is that he says that it takes years of grueling study and practice to become a surgeon butt robots, powered by AI and machine learning, can learn rapidly and share insights instantly.

He also highlights that AI doesn’t get tired or shake under pressure, properties Musk says are vital for top-tier surgery. Musk also predicts “more Optimus robots that are great surgeons than there are all surgeons on Earth” by around 2030.

He also pointed to Neuralink’s surgical robot, which is already used to implant ultra-thin electrodes into the human brain with precision far beyond human hands, a real-world example of machine superiority in delicate procedures.