During a recent episode of the "Moonshots with Peter Diamandis" podcast, Elon Musk shared his thoughts on the nature of human aging, characterizing it as a form of biological programming that leads inevitably to death. The 54-year-old Tesla CEO framed aging not primarily as a medical puzzle but as an engineering problem, suggesting that uncovering and modifying the body's inherent 'clock' could enable people to live longer lives.
Musk highlighted how aging seems to occur in a coordinated fashion across the body rather than as fragmented deterioration of individual parts. He expressed curiosity about the mechanism that maintains uniform aging, noting the absence of uneven aging in limbs — such as one arm appearing younger than the other — as evidence of this synchronization. He stated, "You're pre-programmed to die. And so if you change the program, you will live longer." This points to the idea of an obvious internal timing system governing the aging process.
Supporting studies have investigated similar biological rhythms. Research published by the journal Frontiers in Aging indicates that circadian clock genes interact with molecular pathways related to age, involving systemic timing mechanisms that regulate cellular and tissue processes throughout the body. These findings align with Musk's observation of aging as a unified biological clock.
Beyond the biological underpinnings, Musk also discussed the technological advances reshaping healthcare. He pointed out that artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are becoming increasingly integrated into medical treatments, with automated systems expected to enhance or even surpass human surgical capabilities within approximately five years.
Highlighting current progress, Musk referred to procedures such as laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, a vision-correction surgery that has already benefited from automation. He remarked, "I wouldn't want the best ophthalmologist with the steadiest hand out there with a hand laser on my eyeball. It's going to be like that," implying that robotic precision may surpass manual skills in medical contexts.
Musk further predicted that such automation could democratize access to superior medical care, making high-quality treatments available to all individuals, potentially exceeding the level of care currently received by national leaders. "Everyone will have access to medical care that is better than what the president receives right now," he claimed.
Despite his optimism regarding lifespan extension and improved healthcare, Musk has expressed concerns about the implications of significant longevity, particularly if accompanied by cognitive decline. He stated on the podcast that he would personally prefer not to live to 100 years if dementia or loss of mental faculties rendered him dependent on others, concluding, "I don't want to be a burden … I'd prefer to be dead." This underscores the ethical and quality-of-life considerations that may accompany advances in life extension.
Musk's perspective combines a view of aging as a modifiable biological program with technological developments poised to transform medicine, framing the quest for longer life as a solvable engineering endeavor rather than an insurmountable medical mystery. However, the societal and individual challenges raised by extended longevity remain part of the broader conversation.