In a 90-minute interview with The Economist's editor in chief Zanny Minton Beddoes on Thursday, Elon Musk discussed AI, politics, and his government work. Musk said AI may exceed the sum of human intelligence "in around five years," adding that "there really won't be anything that AI can't do better than humans, apart from being human, perhaps." He described an "age of amazing abundance" but compared the intelligence gap to that between humans and chimpanzees. Musk has previously put the odds of AI wiping out humanity at 10% to 20% and did not walk that back, but said he reached a "philosophical conclusion" to look on the bright side because the momentum is unstoppable: "Let's enjoy the ride." He admitted, "I think I got a little too involved in politics, got carried away, frankly," referencing his donations to Trump's 2024 reelection campaign and his role spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, before falling out with Trump over the president's Big Beautiful Bill.