Elon Musk on AI replacing jobs — what that means for a WhatsApp CS hire
About our Podcast series: we quote public figures word for word from the linked sources, then translate the idea for Malaysian SMEs. They are not endorsing ThinkChat, and we don’t put words in anyone’s mouth.
In May 2024, speaking by video link at the VivaTech conference in Paris, Elon Musk gave one of the most quoted answers ever about AI and work. Asked about AI and jobs, he said:
“Probably none of us will have a job.”
Elon Musk, VivaTech 2024, as reported by CNN
He went on:
“If you want to do a job that’s kinda like a hobby, you can do a job. But otherwise, AI and the robots will provide any goods and services that you want.”
Elon Musk, VivaTech 2024, as reported by CNN
He also said that, in this future, there would need to be “universal high income”, and that the real question would be one of meaning.
What he was actually describing
Read in context, Musk was describing a long-term, “benign scenario”, not next quarter’s hiring plan. He didn’t give a date. It is a big-picture prediction from someone who builds AI and robots, and plenty of economists disagree on the timing and the shape of it.
For a clinic in Puchong or a bakery in Penang, the useful question isn’t “will all jobs disappear?” It is: which tasks in my business are ready for AI today, and which still need my people?
What it means for your customer service
Customer service on WhatsApp is a mix of two kinds of work:
- Repeatable answers. Prices, hours, location, delivery areas, “ada slot Saturday?”. Same questions, every day, often at night.
- Judgement calls. Complaints, refunds, custom quotes, a regular customer who wants a favour.
The first kind is exactly where an AI CS employee earns its keep today. The second kind is where your team’s experience matters most, and where a confident machine guess can do real damage.
So the practical reading of Musk’s comment for an SME is not “replace your staff”. It is “stop making your staff do the robot work.”
A realistic split
| Give to the AI CS employee | Keep with your team |
|---|---|
| FAQs from your approved knowledge | Complaints and angry customers |
| After-hours and weekend replies | Refunds, deposits, exceptions |
| Collecting names, numbers, order details | Big or custom orders |
| Offering the next free booking slot | Anything medical, legal or financial |
| Voice notes and photos, transcribed and described | Relationship calls with regulars |
The part the headline misses
Even in Musk’s own framing, the question at the end was about people: meaning, purpose, what humans choose to do. In a small business, that maps neatly onto customer relationships. Your customers still want to know a person is behind the number.
That is why a good AI hire is honest about its limits. It says “I don’t know” when it doesn’t, and it hands over to a human without losing the chat.
How ThinkChat fits
ThinkChat is built for that split. You hire an AI CS employee (Junior, Senior or Manager), train it on your own Q&A, documents and website, and it handles the repeatable work on the channels you connect (WhatsApp and supported Messenger / Telegram / website chat), in English, Chinese and Malay. Your team keeps the judgement calls, and can take over any chat at any time.
Soft next step
If you want AI to take the robot work, not your team’s judgement, Talk to Lyia on WhatsApp: +60 11-5515 9318.
Plans stay simple: Junior RM299 · Senior RM599 · Manager RM899 a month. Pick the level that matches how much of your customer service you want covered.