• Elon Musk said that "AI and robots" are the key to fixing America's national debt.
• On a podcast, Musk said it would be "impossible" to tackle any other way.
• He predicted "digital superintelligence" could boost the output of goods and services by 20% to 30%.

Elon Musk said artificial intelligence and robots — not government spending cuts — are the only way to fix the US national debt problem.

Speaking on a newly released episode of author Walter Isaacson's "The Builders" podcast, Musk said his 130-day stint as a special government employee in the second Trump administration led him to that view.

Musk, the world's richest person, served as the de facto leader of the White House DOGE office from January to May 2025, where he sought to slash federal spending.

"I came to the conclusion that the only way we're going to solve the national debt is with AI and robots. We're not going to solve it by trying to save our way there," Musk told Isaacson, calling the latter "impossible."

The US national debt load hit a record $40 trillion in August and has continued to climb, according to Treasury data.

"Maybe if the president made that his, you know, primary goal, we could do that, but the problem is if you try to solve the deficit and stop wasteful spending, you make a lot of enemies in that situation," Musk said.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said political leaders in Washington are mostly unwilling to rein in federal spending enough to significantly shrink the deficit.

"The appetite is not there, and it's not just at the presidency. The appetite is not there at the presidency, the House, the Senate, or the judiciary," Musk said.

He added, "Basically, no one in authority in the government whatsoever, really, with maybe a few rare exceptions of like the Rand Pauls of the world type of thing, actually wants to reduce spending — no, they don't."

Musk estimated that "digital superintelligence" could boost the global output of goods and services by 20% to 30% — an increase he estimated could add roughly $30 trillion a year to the world economy.

"If you have robots and you get to space and can do a mass driver on the moon, then you can get to, I think, potentially a million times the size of the Earth economy," he said.

This could ultimately make money "irrelevant," Musk said.

"There will still be currency, but I think currency will be measured in fundamental physics metrics like wattage and tonnage, mass and energy," he said, predicting, "Conventional currency will not matter."

During the interview, Musk also reflected on his chainsaw-wielding time with the Department of Government Efficiency, admitting he got "carried away."

"I think I should have been more in the background and probably only had it last for a month or two, because at that point you've sort of seen most of what there is to see," Musk told Isaacson.

Musk said he should have left and "focused on AI a little sooner than I did."

Outage shows danger of growing reliance on small number of big companies for our digital infrastructure, say experts

It happened again. A power outage hit a datacentre in London, and things cascaded from there: multiple banking services faltered, court hearings were put on hold and patients reported temporary glitches on the NHS app.

The datacentre in question was in Google’s europe-west2-b zone, one of over a dozen “zones” that the US search giant maintains in Europe to service its clients.

Some of the world’s leading names in space exploration are heading to Coimbra later this month for a two-day summit covering everything from lunar science and the search for another

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NEW YORK – WhatsApp users could soon give their stickers a voice as Meta-owned messaging platform develops new feature that will allow people to attach audio clips to images and animated stickers, bringing fresh twist to everyday conversations.

The upcoming sound stickers feature is under development for Android, with details emerging from beta versions 2.26.41.3 and 2.26.41.11. If rolled out widely, it could let users go beyond conventional stickers by combining visual reactions with their own voices or other short audio recordings.

Unlike regular stickers, which rely on pictures and animations to express emotions, sound stickers will reportedly allow users to attach audio directly to their creations. The development builds on WhatsApp’s existing sticker tools, which already support ready-made sticker packs and custom designs made from personal photos and videos.

According to details revealed during testing, WhatsApp is introducing a dedicated sound-wave icon in the sticker creation toolbar for image-based stickers. Tapping the icon will reportedly give users two options: record their own voice or select an existing audio file from their phone’s storage. Audio clips will be limited to 10 seconds, while longer recordings can be trimmed before being attached to a sticker.

The feature could make stickers more expressive, allowing users to pair an image with a spoken reaction, a short message or another suitable sound instead of relying entirely on text and emojis.

Animated Stickers

WhatsApp is also working on sound integration for animated stickers created from videos. Under the functionality currently being tested, the app will automatically attach five seconds of audio from the original video. Users will reportedly be able to replace that sound with a personal voice recording or another audio file stored on their device.

This would allow animated stickers to carry a short audio element from the source video, potentially making shared reactions more engaging.

Despite the added audio functionality, WhatsApp is reportedly designing the feature to give recipients control over playback. Sent stickers will display a speaker or volume icon, which users must tap to hear the attached sound. Audio will not play automatically when the sticker appears in a conversation.

Playback is also expected to respect the phone’s silent or mute settings. Users will reportedly be able to mute sound stickers, and WhatsApp will remember their selected preference. Both the sticker and its attached audio are expected to remain protected by WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption.

Despite the details emerging from beta testing, sound stickers are not yet available to most beta testers, let alone the general public.

Sound stickers are not the only reported improvement in development. WhatsApp is also exploring an option to remove the white outline that currently appears around custom stickers, along with a redesigned two-line message composition box. The company has not officially announced these changes or provided a timeline for their release.

WhatsApp users can now invite anyone to join calls without an account

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As SpaceX impacts Ukraine and AI-generated music divides artists and fans, critics are asking what happens when technology has too much control over our lives

• This was originally published in TechScape, a newsletter about how technology shapes our lives. Sign up to receive it here

Hello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m Blake Montgomery, US tech editor at the Guardian, writing to you while sitting in front of Roy Lichtenstein’s monumental Drowning Girl, on view in New York City. Today in tech, we’re discussing the perils of Elon Musk’s one-man global infrastructure, AI-generated music and a Guardian AI conference in Paris.

A pilot project using surveillance sensors and AI-equipped drones to prevent and combat fires aims to reach a potential fire within 10 minutes, the government said today. “It’s a faster

The post Pilot project underway to direct drone swarms to wildfires within 10 minutes appeared first on Portugal Resident.

Around 180 rectors and decision-makers from Europe’s leading science and technology institutions are meeting in Lisbon this week to discuss how scientific research can transform countries’ technological and industrial capabilities.

The post Leading EU science, tech institutions meet in Lisbon this week appeared first on Portugal Resident.

One of my favorite cartoons growing up was "The Jetsons." The Jetsons were a futuristic family living among the clouds with a fully automated life, from a robot maid named Rosie to technology that could make your dinner or do your laundry in just a few seconds at the push of a button. Everyone’s favorite aspect of this futuristic cartoon lifestyle boiled down to one element, which has become somewhat of a benchmark for technological progress: flying cars. And with Tesla’s recent exhibition, we are one step closer to that Jetsons-esque reality.

If you haven’t seen the video, Tesla did a demonstration of their forthcoming Roadster vehicle, slated for 2028 production. The car swooped up a half-loop ramp reminiscent of Matchbox car stunts. At the top of the ramp, the car, which was upside down at the top, flipped over in midair. Then, thrusters seemed to suspend the car in midair, before helping guide it gently back down to land on the ground.

For just a few moments, that car flew, and it was truly awe-inspiring.

FLYING SPORTS CAR HIDES ITS WINGS AS PRODUCTION GETS CLOSER

The reactions to this engineering feat and demonstration spectacle are somewhat of a Rorschach test. Those who love building, progress, technology or who are just generally optimistic have seen this demonstration as a formidable, impressive achievement. Those who like to see things torn down or are generally naysayers or obstacle formers react with "it’s not that big of a deal" or give other criticisms.

Fortunately, America still has enough people committed to the entrepreneurial spirit to attract the likes of Elon Musk and provide a good home base for his talented team members and others who want to see Musk, America and human beings in general succeed.

It isn’t hyperbole to say that Elon Musk is one of, if not the greatest, entrepreneurs of modern times. Regardless of any personal feelings or thoughts about Musk, if you can separate the art from the artist, or in his case, the entrepreneur from his business accomplishments, objectively, Musk has done the unthinkable time and time again. And we, as a country, are better off for him doing it from America as his home base.

As my husband and I talked about Musk’s varying accomplishments, from his early work in online payments to his achievements in electric vehicle manufacturing and AI, to his SpaceX being able to catch rocket boosters returning to the Earth from outer space upon landing, and now this latest hovering automobile. We discussed that Musk reportedly held discussions with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company regarding a potential collaboration for his "Terafab" semiconductor facility in Texas. I mentioned that chip buildout had faced major challenges elsewhere, and my husband pointed out that it is different under Musk, saying, "In fact, we need 16,000 more Elon Musks."

INNOVATION IS KEY TO AMERICA STAYING A SUPERPOWER. BUT IT IS MISSING AN ESSENTIAL PIECE

And he’s right. America needs more Elon Musks.

No, Elon Musk does not succeed on his own. There are many team members alongside him in undertaking outrageous projects and often making them succeed. But there’s something about Musk’s vision, leadership, hiring and willingness to inspire confidence in others, both on his team and in the general public, that makes his teams continue to be successful. And we need more of that.

We need to not only attract and inspire those who may even be just a little bit like Musk, to dream bigger and bolder, to take calculated risks and try and try again when things don’t work the first time. And we need to make sure that we incentivize that behavior, instead of trying to penalize it or throw up roadblocks.

THE NEXT AMERICAN BOOM COULD BE HERE — UNLESS WASHINGTON REGULATES IT TO DEATH

In our own government, which is supposed to help vs. hinder entrepreneurs, we have politicians like Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is noted for going after Elon Musk because of his success, instead of trying to figure out a way to foster more Musk-like successes. After a vastly-ridiculed post made earlier this week from Warren lamenting, of all things, a possible merger between companies that make various spices and condiments, Mike Solana, CMO of Founders Fund and EIC of Pirate Wires, posted on X (also owned by Musk), highlighting the stark differences between the politician Warren and the creator Musk.

His post said, "liz warren: we’re gonna stop the mayonnaise company from buying a hot sauce company." He then said, "elon musk:," and included the video from Musk of the Roadster’s hovering feat, perfectly illustrating how some in our country are erecting barriers and others are breaking barriers.

America was founded on an idea of individual rights and incentives that rewarded successful pursuits, with such rewards growing at scale. We are very fortunate that we have Elon Musk and others who are pushing boundaries, bringing us into new frontiers, allowing Americans who work for him, who invest with him and who use his products or services to benefit alongside of him.

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We do need 16,000 more Elon Musks. And the way to foster more Elon Musks is to appreciate, incentivize and reward entrepreneurship.

Low-cost broadband provider Jio Platforms aims for £81bn valuation when it floats on the stock market on Wednesday

India’s second-richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is launching what could be the country’s biggest-ever initial public offering (IPO), despite a stock market downturn.

Mumbai-based Jio Platforms, a telecoms company backed by Meta Platforms and Google, is hoping to raise up to 302bn rupees (£2.4bn) and is targeting a 10.3tn rupees valuation when it floats on the stock market from Wednesday.

The European Commission has selected 77 industrial and technology projects across 23 European Economic Area countries to receive €3.4 billion in funding, as Brussels attempts to strengthen the continent’s manufacturing capacity and reduce dependence on imported energy and critical materials.

The funding, announced on Monday, 19 October, will come from the EU Innovation Fund, which uses revenues generated by the Emissions Trading System to support investment in technologies intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The selected projects include manufacturing facilities, renewable energy installations, advanced energy storage, critical raw materials processing and industrial carbon management. For the first time, the programme also includes a small modular nuclear reactor project and a direct air carbon capture and storage initiative.

The announcement comes amid growing concern over Europe’s industrial competitiveness, particularly as manufacturers face high energy costs, increasing competition from China and difficulties securing investment for major industrial projects.

Funding for industrial production

According to the Commission’s announcement, the 77 selected projects span energy-intensive industries, clean technology manufacturing, alternative fuels, transport and several other sectors.

Six projects concern critical raw materials, an area in which the EU has been seeking to reduce its exposure to foreign suppliers.

These investments are intended to strengthen European supply chains for technologies including batteries, renewable energy equipment and permanent magnets, which are essential components in electric motors and other industrial applications.

The funding follows renewed political pressure to expand the processing and production of strategically important materials inside Europe.

As EU Today recently reported, the European Parliament has been pressing for stronger measures to reduce dependence on China for critical raw materials used by European manufacturers.

China occupies a dominant position in several international processing and refining markets, leaving European companies exposed to supply interruptions and trade restrictions.

The Commission is seeking to support alternative production capacity through financial assistance, industrial regulation and measures designed to attract private capital.

However, the selection of projects for EU funding does not automatically mean that the proposed facilities will be built. Their implementation will still depend on financing agreements, regulatory approvals and commercial decisions.

Nuclear technology enters funding programme

The inclusion of a small modular nuclear reactor project represents a new development in the Innovation Fund’s portfolio.

Small modular reactors are designed to produce electricity or industrial heat using nuclear technology on a smaller scale than conventional nuclear power stations.

Supporters argue that modular construction could reduce certain project risks and provide stable electricity supplies for energy-intensive industries.

However, the technology faces substantial challenges involving construction costs, regulatory approval, supply chains and the transition from demonstration projects to commercial production.

The Commission published a European strategy for small modular reactors in March, outlining plans to accelerate their development and support the first operational facilities in the early 2030s.

The latest funding decision gives the technology access to a financial instrument principally associated with industrial decarbonisation and clean energy investment.

Another newly represented technology is direct air carbon capture and storage, which involves extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it.

Both technologies remain at comparatively early stages of commercial deployment in Europe, making their eventual costs and performance important considerations.

Emissions trading revenue finances investment

The Innovation Fund is financed through revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System, under which companies operating in covered sectors must obtain allowances for their greenhouse gas emissions.

Part of the revenue generated from auctioning allowances is reinvested into projects designed to introduce lower-emission technologies into industrial production.

The Commission estimates that the 77 newly selected projects could avoid approximately 290 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions during their first ten years of operation.

That figure is a projection based on the projects’ anticipated performance, rather than an achieved reduction. Actual results will depend on construction, commissioning and subsequent commercial operation.

The funding announcement also follows the publication of the EU’s broader industrial policy initiatives, which seek to increase domestic production of clean technologies and improve investment conditions for European manufacturers.

The Commission announced a separate allocation of more than €390 million to 135 environmental and climate projects under the LIFE programme on the same day. That funding is distinct from the €3.4 billion Innovation Fund selection.

Funding agreements still to be concluded

The companies and organisations behind the selected Innovation Fund projects must now complete the procedures necessary to obtain their grants.

During the Commission’s 19 October press briefing, officials indicated that project-specific grant amounts would become available when the agreements are signed, currently envisaged for the first quarter of 2027.

The final allocations and implementation conditions therefore remain subject to the grant preparation process.

For industrial companies, the principal test will be whether the European funding attracts sufficient additional investment to bring the selected technologies into commercial operation.

The results will also provide an indication of how effectively Brussels can translate its industrial policy objectives into additional European manufacturing capacity, particularly in sectors where supply chains remain concentrated outside the Union.

Image Credit: © European Union, 2024 / CC BY 4.0