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Tesla's Optimus Robot Sparks 'I, Robot' Comparisons

At Tesla's recent We, Robot event, the company unveiled the latest iteration of its humanoid robot, Optimus, sparking instant comparisons with Sonny, the robot protagonist from the 2004 movie I, Robot.

The Optimus robot's likeness to Sonny seems intentional, as underscored by the event's title. Social media reactions to the unveiling confirmed that the resemblance was not lost on Tesla's audience, further fueling the sci-fi narrative CEO Elon Musk often embraces.

At the event, where the Cybercab also debuted, Optimus demonstrated its capacity for basic interaction, as seen in a viral clip shared on X, formerly Twitter, by user @cb_doge, who captioned the video, "A conversation between Tesla Optimus bot and a human is the best thing you'll see on the internet today."

In the video, Optimus chats with an attendee, asking, "Where are you from?" When the attendee later asks what the hardest part of being a robot is, Optimus replies: "Trying to learn how to be as human as you guys? And that's something I try harder to do every day." Newsweek has contacted Tesla via email for comment.

Social media lit up with further comparisons, with one X user commenting that I, Robot "is coming at us faster than we thought."

Other observers drew connections between Tesla's new Cybervan and the robot transport vehicles in I, Robot. "Tesla literally created the ROBOT and VAN from iRobot with Optimus and the RoboVan. #WeRobot," one user wrote.

The humanoids in I, Robot function in the near-future society of 2035, assisting humans with everyday tasks. The protagonist, Sonny, is an advanced model capable of independent thought and emotions. Tesla's Optimus, while far from possessing Sonny's sentience, stirred similar excitement for its potential future use cases.

Tesla has previously described Optimus as "a general purpose, bi-pedal, humanoid robot capable of performing tasks that are unsafe, repetitive or boring." At the October 10 event, Musk said, "What can it do? It'll do anything you want."

"It can be a teacher, babysit your kids. It can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do," he added.

Optimus, the humanoid robot that Tesla unveiled at its October 10 We, Robot event. The robot was seen walking around, serving drinks and even playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with attendees. Optimus, the humanoid robot that Tesla unveiled at its October 10 We, Robot event. The robot was seen walking around, serving drinks and even playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with attendees. Tesla Inc.

"I think this will be the biggest product ever of any kind," Musk continued.

Though Optimus walked among the crowd at We, Robot—talking with attendees, serving drinks and even playing Rock, Paper, Scissors—no concrete details were given about its future availability.

Musk said he expected it to cost "less than a car," adding, "You should be able to buy an Optimus robot for, I think, probably $20,000 to $30,000 long term."

In June, Tesla said of the robot, "It's already being tested in our factories," and the company is hiring for 35 specialist roles in its Tesla Bot division, signaling a move forward with Optimus' development.

The robot's design isn't the first time Musk has leaned into sci-fi for inspiration. The Cybertruck, which required a significant recall earlier this month because of faulty rearview cameras, pays homage to several fictional vehicles—specifically the boxy, utilitarian vehicles in Blade Runner and the DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future, which also had an unpainted stainless steel body.

Musk himself has previously said the Cybertruck was partially inspired by the Lotus Esprit sports car that transformed into a submarine in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.

'I, Robot' Director Calls Out Elon Musk For Aping His Work: 'Can I Have My Designs Back?'

Social media commentators were quick to side-eye Elon Musk's latest creations and their clear inspiration from the 2004 film "I, Robot" — and they aren't alone, as the film's director took to X (formerly Twitter) to call out Musk directly. "Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please?" Proyas tweeted alongside a side-by-side comparison of futuristic objects from his movie with Musk's strikingly similar humanoid robots, Robovan and Cybercab.

Musk noted the similarities in the event's name itself, unveiling his latest offerings at the "We, Robot" Tesla reveal held at Warner Bros. Studios. The Cybercab, a new self-driving two-passenger vehicle, lacks a steering wheel and pedals given the emphasis on autonomous driving. The Cybercab goes into production in 2027 and is expected to cost less than $30,000.

The Optimus robot, a humanoid companion meant to help people with home-related jobs such as walking pets and getting packages out of the mail, is set to be available for purchase at the end of 2024. The robots will be available for purchase from between $20,000 and $30,000.

Musk described the robots as "your own personal R2-D2 [or] C-3PO."

"What can it do? It can basically do anything you want," he told attendees. "It can be a teacher, babysit your kids, it can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do."

Musk has big hopes for the robots, adding, "I think this will be the biggest product ever, of any kind. I think everyone is going to want their Optimus buddy, maybe two."

'I, Robot' Director Slams Elon Musk For Ripping Off His Designs With New Line Of Tesla Robots

Australian filmmaker Alex Proyas has called out Elon Musk for stealing his designs for a new line of Tesla robots.

Last week, Musk and Tesla unveiled two new self-driving vehicle prototypes: the Cybercab and Robovan at an event titled We, Robot. Also present at the presentation was an autonomous robot, Optimus, that was capable of making and handing out drinks and was entertaining guests.

Proyas caught wind of the showcase, and decided to call out Musk for all three designs – which are admittedly strikingly similar to the concepts used for his hit 2004 sci-fi film I, Robot.

On X (formerly Twitter), which is owned by Musk, Proyas shared a post comparing the designs from his film and the Tesla robots side-by-side, revealing their similarities. He wrote: "Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please?".

Proyas isn't the only one vocalising the similarities between designs. On social media, many users have been comparing Tesla's new line of robotics to the iconic 2004 Will Smith film.

See some reactions below.

I, Robot – set in 2035 Chicago – the film sees a futuristic world that's highly dependable on robotics and androids to take on public service jobs. Will Smith stars as a technologically averse detective who grows suspicious of one particular android after the alleged suicide of a founder of a robotics conglomerate.

Since the rise of AI in recent years, several actors and directors have voiced their concerns for the technology being used to create, or even replace, key human components in the film and TV industry.

Tim Burton in September last year called the use of AI "disturbing": "I can't describe the feeling it gives you. It reminded me of when other cultures say, 'Don't take my picture because it is taking away your soul.' "What it does is it sucks something from you. It takes something from your soul or psyche; that is very disturbing, especially if it has to do with you. It's like a robot taking your humanity, your soul."

Earlier last year, Wes Anderson denounced AI recreations of his work: "If somebody sends me something like that I'll immediately erase it and say, 'Please, sorry, do not send me things of people doing me.'

Rachel Zegler poses at the opening night gala afterparty for the dance musical 'Illinoise' at The Times Square Edition Hotel on May 7, 2024 in New York CREDIT: Bruce Glikas/WireImage)

Earlier this month, actor Rachel Zegler voice her concerns of being replaced by AI: "I was really scared of being replaced by an artificial intelligence version of myself that they scanned when I was 18 and then never being able to work on a set again. What was stopping them from using that for the rest of my life?" She went to say that "465 photos taken of every corner of my body" were made for CGI stunts. "It was fucking dystopian," she added.

Her comments came after Guillermo del Toro also recently spoke out about AI, claiming it can do "semi-compelling screensavers" and "that's essentially that".

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