ELON MUSK has revealed the reasons why he thinks humans are not the only intelligent species to have evolved but the SpaceX chief’s incredible admission came with a dire warning for humanity.

Elon Musk, 48, dropped the alien bombshell on Lex Fridman’s Artificial Intelligence Podcast this week (November 12). Speaking about the allure and perils of AI technology, the SpaceX boss also discussed the danger of forever staying on one planet. The South African billionaire who is known for his dream of colonising Mars, said the universe is likely peppered with long-gone alien civilisations.

Mr Musk said: “It's funny, the universe appears to be 13.8 billion years old. Earth, like four-and-a-half billions years old.

“In another half billion years or so, the Sun will expand and probably evaporate the oceans and make life impossible on Earth.

“Which means that if it had taken consciousness 10 percent longer to evolve, it would never have evoked at all, 10 percent longer.

“And I wonder how many dead one-planet ciliations there out there in the cosmos, that never made it to the other planet and ultimately extinguished themselves or were destroyed by external factors? Probably a few.”

Elon Musk: The SpaceX CEO thinks humans are not the first intelligent civilisation to develop (Image: GETTY)

Elon Musk: The SpaceX CEO thinks there are long-extinct civilisations out there (Image: LEX FRIDMAN YOUTUBE)

The “other planet” that could be humanity’s saving grace, according to Mr Musk, is the Red Planet Mars.

The SpaceX boss is a firm believer humanity stands on the brink of colonising the neighbouring world.

Towards this goal, he is developing SpaceX’ Starship spacecraft – an interplanetary launched vehicle designed to ferry humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Mr Musk said: “It’s only just possible to travel to Mars. Just barely.

“If G was 10 percent more, wouldn’t work really. If G was 10 percent lower, it would be easy.

“You can go dingle stage from the surface of Mars, all the way to the surface of Earth because Mars is 37 percent of Earth’s gravity or thereabouts.

“You need a giant boost to get off the Earth.”

Mr Musk’s appearance on the AI Podcast is not the first time he has hinted at the possibility of alien life.

In October this year, he said “there might be life out there” in the depths of space.