BY 2045, MILLIONS OF HUMANS WILL LIVE IN SPACE: AMAZON’S FOUNDER JEFF BEZOS

AMAZON FOUNDER JEFF BEZOS ON AI AND SPACE EXPLORATION

• Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has expressed optimism about humanity’s future with artificial intelligence and space exploration, saying the world is heading toward “civilizational abundance” rather than collapse.
• Speaking at Italian Tech Week 2025 recently, Bezos said he doesn’t understand the pessimism surrounding AI.
• “I don’t see how anybody can be discouraged who is alive right now,” he said, adding that there is much to look forward to as technology continues to evolve.

BEZOS SAYS MILLIONS COULD LIVE IN SPACE BY 2045

• Jeff Bezos predicted that by 2045, millions of people could be living in space.
• “In the next kind of couple of decades, I believe there will be millions of people living in space,” he said. “That’s how fast this is going to accelerate.”
• According to Jeff Bezos, those future space residents will be there by choice. “They’ll mostly be living there because they want to,” he said. “We don’t need people to live in space.”
• He added that robots, not humans, will likely handle labour-intensive tasks on the moon or other planets. “If you need to do some work on the surface of the moon or anywhere else, we will be able to send robots to do that work, and that will be much more cost-effective than sending humans.”
• Addressing fears about AI replacing humans, Bezos argued that technological progress has always created more prosperity.
• “Civilizational abundance comes from our inventions,” he said. “So 10,000 years ago, or whenever it was, somebody invented the plough, and we all got richer. I’m talking about all of civilization, these tools increase our abundance, and that pattern will continue.”
• Notably, not all billionaires share the same enthusiasm for space.
• Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has argued that global leaders should focus on challenges on Earth first. “Space? We have a lot to do here on Earth,” Gates said.
• Still, Gates also sees potential benefits in AI, suggesting it could eventually allow for shorter workweeks and more leisure time. “If you zoom out, the purpose of life is not just to do jobs,” he said.

Editor’s Note

• Jeff Bezos’s vision of millions living in space by 2045 may sound like science fiction, but it reflects a defining truth of our age — humanity’s unrelenting drive to transcend boundaries. While critics argue that the focus should remain on Earth’s pressing crises — inequality, climate change, and conflict — Bezos invites us to imagine a civilization unshackled by scarcity. His optimism for “civilizational abundance” challenges the fear-driven narratives surrounding AI and automation, reminding us that progress, when guided by purpose, can uplift rather than replace humanity. Yet, the question lingers: as we build worlds beyond Earth, will we also learn to heal the one we already have? The future Bezos envisions is not just about technological triumph — it is about moral evolution. Whether abundance becomes universal or exclusive will define not just the next century, but the very soul of civilization.
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