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Take-Two CEO: AI Should Replace Elon Musk, Not Game Developers
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick joked at Semafor World Economy 2026 that AI should target Elon Musk before creative workers, arguing AI excels at mundane tasks but cannot match human originality in game development.
Key update
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick delivered a tongue-in-cheek recommendation at the Semafor World Economy 2026 panel: if AI is designed to replace human labor, it should start with Elon Musk. The head of the company behind Grand Theft Auto suggested that Musk's famously grueling 20-hour workday makes him the perfect first candidate for AI replacement.
Why it matters
Speaking about the widespread fears of AI replacing creative workers, Zelnick dismissed the doom-and-gloom narrative. 'If AI were going to get rid of employment, the richest man on Earth, Elon Musk, knows a little something about AI,' Zelnick said. 'He has unlimited financial resources, and he has unlimited human resources, and he has, apparently, an unlimited amount of ideas.' Zelnick even joked that if he had to pick someone who was actually a computer simulation, Musk would be his top choice.
What to watch
When it comes to game developers at studios like Rockstar Games, Zelnick sees AI as a productivity tool rather than a threat. He explained that AI handles repetitive coding and design tasks efficiently — similar to how modern game artists no longer need to manually create every blade of grass. This frees developers to focus on creative work that AI cannot replicate.
Context
The confidence at Take-Two contrasts sharply with Musk's own stance on AI. During VivaTech 2024, Musk predicted AI could eliminate most human jobs and suggested a universal high income as a buffer. Zelnick flipped this narrative, suggesting the endless administrative workloads of AI evangelists make them the logical first targets for automation.