Musk Predicts AI Could Accelerate U.S. Economic Growth to 4% Next Year

Elon Musk has forecasted that artificial intelligence could push U.S. GDP growth to roughly 4% in the coming year, approximately doubling the current economic pace—a prospect that underscores his increasingly bullish outlook on AI's capacity to reshape the global economy. Speaking at the G20 Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill on September 1-2, Musk argued that AI productivity gains present "a real opportunity to run at a higher growth rate" over the next five to ten years. His prediction stands in stark contrast to mainstream economic forecasts, with the Federal Reserve and consensus analyst projections estimating 2.0% to 2.5% growth for 2026, while the economy expanded at just 1.5% in the second quarter of this year.