Musk revealed a truth at Davos: The multiplication table 1-12 education must change

On January 22nd, Elon Musk and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink had a conversation in Davos that seemed to discuss cutting-edge technologies like AI, chips, and energy. In reality, it touched on a question every parent should consider: why are we still teaching children the multiplication table 1-12?

This question is important not because Musk said anything specific about math education, but because within this conversation, five signals are hidden—signals that directly point to what the world will look like after 2027. In that future, basic skills like the multiplication table 1-12 will be fundamentally redefined in terms of their value.

The Hidden Underlying Logic: From Chip Wars to the True Dilemma in Education

Most media focus only on surface news—“Elon Musk predicts AI will surpass humans by 2030.” But if you listen to the 14-minute and 47-second mark, you’ll notice a strange timeline:

On January 14th, the White House signed a 25% import tariff on semiconductor equipment; on January 16th, the White House “lifted restrictions” on some AI chip exports to China; and on January 22nd, Musk openly said in Davos, “We are tariffing ourselves to death.”

The data he presented is brutal: China adds 300 GW of solar capacity annually—more than all other countries combined—while the U.S. is imposing tariffs on photovoltaic equipment. The result? The U.S. aims to stifle China’s AI development with tariffs, but ends up making its own companies pay more for equipment.

This zero-sum game essentially reflects an educational dilemma: our education system is still teaching children to master skills that machines have already surpassed (like the multiplication table 1-12), while simultaneously losing the ability to understand systemic risks and think strategically.

The True Bottleneck of AI Is Not Algorithms, But Energy Constraints

Musk pointed out a deeper truth in the same segment: chip capacity is growing exponentially, but electricity supply is only increasing by 3-4% annually.

This is a physical conflict. Training GPT-5 consumes as much electricity as a small city’s annual usage. By 2030, AI’s energy demand will increase by 100 times. Yet, the U.S. grid is still based on infrastructure built in the 1970s.

In contrast, China is building 100 GW of nuclear power and deploying 300 GW of solar annually—equivalent to establishing the capacity of five California-sized grids each year. What does this mean?

While we’re still debating whether AI will take jobs, the real determinant of winners will be who can solve the physical energy problem. The insight for education is: mechanical memorization skills like the multiplication table 1-12 are no longer competitive advantages. True competitiveness lies in understanding systemic constraints, long-term strategic planning, and seeing through surface appearances.

The Turning Point of Space Economy: Prototype in 2-3 Years

At 17 minutes and 33 seconds, Musk mentioned the “orbital computing cluster”—space data centers. Most people dismiss this as science fiction.

But a quick cost analysis makes it clear: cooling costs for ground data centers account for 40% of operating costs—they need 24-hour air conditioning. Space data centers can leverage the universe’s background temperature of -270°C for free cooling, with solar efficiency five times higher than on Earth, and no environmental impact assessments.

More critically, there’s a revolution in launch costs. Musk updated data at 24 minutes and 12 seconds: with successful recovery of Starship’s 5th and 6th test flights, launch costs could drop to $200 per kilogram—100 times cheaper than before. Just as containers revolutionized global trade, this will turn space into a real industrial park.

Timeline: prototypes could appear within 2-3 years, around 2027-2028. This is not science fiction 30 years from now, but reality in three years.

What does this mean for education? While our children are memorizing the multiplication table 1-12, someone is already planning the space economy. What we should teach them is how to think and act amid such epochal shifts.

The Countdown of Labor Value Devaluation: 1095 Days

At 21 minutes and 23 seconds, Larry Fink asked a sharp question: “If factories are all operated by robots, what happens to unemployed workers?”

Musk’s answer seems to sidestep the question, saying “Unemployment is a job, not a person.” But that’s only surface-level. Numbers don’t lie:

A person earning $50K a year plus $8K in social security, plus worries about illness, mood, job hopping. An Optimus robot costs a one-time $25K, with annual electricity of $2K, working 20 hours a day (humans only 8), for 5 years. The hourly cost is less than $0.68—cheaper than a cup of Starbucks.

When labor is cheaper than coffee, what’s the point of wages being valuable?

Musk’s timeline: by the end of 2026, robots in factories; by the end of 2027, they will be sold to the public. Only 1095 days away.

Warehousing, logistics, production lines, customer service, data entry, cashiers, security, cleaning—if your job involves 80% repetitive tasks, this is your three-year window for transformation. That’s why it’s absurd to keep teaching children to memorize the multiplication table 1-12: these mechanical, repetitive skills are the first to be fully replaced by robots.

The True Dilemma of Civilization: The Great Filter and the Flicker of Consciousness

But the deepest signal comes at 5 minutes and 12 seconds. Fink asks Musk: “You’re already the world’s richest person, why are you still risking everything for Mars?”

Musk pauses for a few seconds, then says: “Do you think dinosaurs went extinct because they lacked financial tools?”

Then he delivers the core message of the entire conversation: “We should see consciousness as a faint candle in the vast darkness. We must do everything possible to keep that candle from going out.”

He then mentions the “Great Filter” theory. Perhaps all civilizations face some deadly challenge. We don’t see other alien civilizations because they failed to pass this filter.

Musk’s real fear isn’t AI replacing humans. It’s humanity’s fear of AI, which could halt our evolution and lead to extinction at some “filter.”

This explains all his plans: Starship as an escape route, AI as an intelligence accelerator, robots as labor liberators, Mars as a civilization backup. It’s not just a few businesses, but a comprehensive plan to pass through the Great Filter.

And us? We’re still using the multiplication table 1-12 to define educational success.

The Urgent Shift in Education: What Should We Teach Children?

If you understand these five signals, you’ll realize: continuing to teach children the multiplication table 1-12 is not inheritance, but waste.

First, recognize what is already outdated

The multiplication table 1-12 represents mechanical memorization and repetitive practice. AI can instantly calculate any multiplication. Optimus can perform any repetitive task. In this era, investing in these skills yields near-zero returns.

Second, redefine the core of education

Based on Musk’s views and current trends, we should teach children three skills that AI cannot replace by 2030:

1. The ability to ask questions. Not just answer questions, but define them. AI is excellent at optimization within given frameworks but cannot determine what truly matters. In space economy, energy crises, and the robot era, asking the right questions is more critical than finding answers.

2. Aesthetic judgment and discernment. AI can generate images, articles, music, but cannot judge what is truly beautiful or meaningful. When content is abundant and information overloads, aesthetic ability becomes a scarce resource.

3. Curiosity amid chaos. The Great Filter could appear at any moment. Not being ruled by fear, but seeing opportunities in uncertainty—that’s humanity’s remaining competitive advantage.

Finally, set specific observation timelines

Don’t wait for answers—learn to observe signals:

• 2026 Q2 (April-June): Watch for the 10th-12th test flights of Starship. If successful, the space economy arrives early.
• 2026 Q4 (October-December): See if Tesla announces Optimus factory data. If yield >90%, sales in 2027 are confirmed.
• 2027 Q2 (April-June): Check Optimus pricing. If under $20K, the unemployment wave will arrive faster than expected.

While others debate “whether” it will happen, you’re already verifying “when.”

The True Meaning of “Better to Be Wrong Optimistically”

At the end of the interview, Musk said: “I’d rather be optimistic and wrong than pessimistic and right.”

Many see this as motivational talk. But once you understand the Great Filter theory, you realize—this is a rational choice made by someone who sees civilization-level risks clearly.

Pessimists are often correct. But only optimists act. And only action can change probabilities.

The lesson for every parent and educator: instead of obsessing over AI, unemployment, and societal change, change your understanding of education now. Shift from teaching children outdated skills like the multiplication table 1-12 to cultivating their true competitive abilities in this new era.

Time is counting down. It’s not just three years until a crisis—it’s already too late to wait.