Elon Musk and his company Boring Company have signed an initial agreement to build an underground road system in Dubai called the Dubai Loop. Tech billionaire and AI minister Omar Al Olama announced the project on the last day of the World Government Summit, reported by The National.
The Boring Company will work with Dubai authorities to build tunnels that will transport vehicles under the city, similar to the Las Vegas Loop, which is used by all Tesla cars. The system will transport visitors to a convention center through high-speed tunnels to avoid surface traffic. The project will cover the most densely populated areas of Dubai, so that people can move seamlessly from point to point.
The deal is a strategic partnership
The Dubai government later said the deal was a strategic partnership to explore the implementation of the Dubai Loop, and shared a photo of Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan watching the signing of the agreement with Boring Company officials. The government said it was considering a 17-kilometer system with 11 stations that would be able to carry 20,000 passengers per hour. Few additional details were provided.
The existing Las Vegas Loop runs under the convention center, one of the largest in the world. It took two years to build the tunnels and five stations for 70 driverless cars. The expected plan calls for a sprawling city-wide system that would connect the airport with hotels and casinos and more than 100 stations. Like Dubai, Las Vegas is one of the hottest cities in the world, and underground transportation is seen as ideal for the future.
Underground travel is a safer option
Mr. Musk added that underground travel is a safer option than flying cars and is less likely to be disrupted by bad weather or other external factors. But what is really useful about tunnels is the relief of traffic and congestion. In his conversation with Mr. Al Olama, Mr. Musk touched on the increased efficiency of the US government and the potential of humanoid robots, generative AI and deep intelligence.
Tesla’s $20,000 Optimus humanoid robots are capable of performing dangerous, repetitive, tedious tasks that are otherwise performed by humans, such as hazardous materials disposal, housework and even social assistance. Mass production of about 60,000 robots per year could be possible by 2026. Their impact will be a game-changer for the service industry and financial institutions. Warning that a dystopian future could be just a few years away, he said the way people earn a living could change.