Musk at Davos says Tesla robotaxi approvals imminent, humanoid robots soon

Elon Musk made a surprise onstage appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos and used the session to press aggressive timetables for Tesla’s autonomous driving and robotics ambitions, telling the audience he expects regulatory approvals for supervised robotaxis in Europe and China as soon as next month and predicting household-capable humanoid robots within a year of initial factory deployments.

The session, added to the WEF program on the morning of Jan. 22, marked Musk’s return to a summit he has publicly criticized in the past. Interviewed by BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink, Musk framed work across Tesla, SpaceX and his AI company as engineering efforts aimed at creating abundance through automation. Fink opened the conversation by urging the crowd to respond enthusiastically to Musk’s appearance.

Musk said Tesla has already launched robotaxi services in a few U.S. cities, citing an Austin rollout in mid‑2025 and later limited operations in San Francisco, and that he expects the service to be “very, very widespread” across the United States by the end of 2026. He told the forum he anticipates regulatory approvals in Europe next month and suggested China could follow on a similar timetable. The company, however, has not obtained permits to test or operate fully driverless vehicles on public roads without human safety supervisors.

The timelines Musk presented are ambitious and, if realized, would accelerate a transition that remains incremental in many markets. Tesla faces established competition from other companies developing autonomous fleets and production robotaxi operations, and regulators in Europe, China and the U.S. continue to scrutinize safety, data and liability issues before granting broader permissions.

On robotics, Musk provided concrete deadlines for Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot program. He said Optimus would perform simple factory tasks by the end of this year and move to more complex industrial work within about 12 months. Musk described a future in which humanoid robots could act as household helpers that watch children or care for pets, contingent on proving to be safe for close human interaction.

Musk also reiterated sweeping forecasts about artificial intelligence. Accounts of his timing diverge: one line of reporting attributed to him a prediction that AI could become smarter than all humanity collectively by 2030 or 2031, while other versions ascribed a more accelerated sequence, with AI outpacing individual human intelligence by late 2026 and surpassing the collective within five years. Those divergent timelines reflect differences in how outlets summarized his remarks rather than new technical evidence.

He touched on other ventures, saying SpaceX plans to deploy solar‑powered AI satellites and making an offhand offer to engage with human aging research. The appearance underscored Musk’s growing influence in technology and policy circles; his companies already play roles that intersect with geopolitical and humanitarian concerns, from global satellite connectivity to debates over the governance of advanced AI.

Musk’s Davos appearance was notable less for detailed regulatory filings than for its tone: a bid to reassure investors and global leaders that long‑promised advances in autonomy and robotics are imminent, while also renewing familiar themes about automation, abundance and the need for optimism about technological progress.