Elon Musk, the richest person on Earth, has said that there are not enough people on the planet and civilization will crumble if birth rate keeps declining.
The Tesla CEO said during an interview with journalist Joanna Stern on Monday, Dec. 6, that the world is in dire need of more humans.
Musk said: “There are not enough people. I can’t emphasize this enough, there are not enough people.”
He made the comments after discussing how companies such as Tesla could over time begin using robots as a substitute for human workers, calling labor ‘the foundation of the economy.”
He continued: “I think one of the biggest risks to civilization is the low grow rate and the rapidly-declining grow rate.
“And yet so many people – including smart people – think there are too many people in the world and think the population is growing out of control. It’s completely the opposite.
“Please look at the numbers, if people don’t have more children, civilization is going to crumble. Mark my words.”
Musk, who has six kids, said he’s doing his part to populate the Earth.
He said, smiling: “I’m trying to set a good example. I’m trying to practice what I preach.”
