Elon Musk has showcased his army of $30,000 Tesla Optimus robots that are designed to help with household chores, prompting people to draw comparisons to the dystopian future depicted in I, Robot.
In shocking and impressive footage, the humanoid robots were seen stiffly walking in single file across a stage while viewers stood jaw-dropped on the sidelines.
Musk said attendees could walk up to the Optimus robots who would do things like serve drinks.
‘At scale, you should be able to buy an Optimus robot for $20,000 to $30,000,’ he said.
‘It can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend.’
Elon Musk showcased his army of $30,000 Tesla Optimus robots that are designed to help with household chores
The event featured the army of robots who were seen dancing and serving drinks
The mogul showed a clip of how the robots could help around the house and integrate with families
Speaking at the event, Musk said of the Optimus robots: ‘At scale, you should be able to buy an Optimus robot for $20,000 – $30,000’
The footage goes on to show the human-like bot sitting at a family table, laying with a child, as well as wiping down a kitchen surface and collecting post.
The robot, which is intended for industrial and domestic uses, debuted at AI Day on September 30 after first being announced at AI Day in August 2021.
‘Tesla Bots are initially positioned to replace people in repetitive, boring, and dangerous tasks. But the vision is for them to serve millions of households, such as cooking, mowing lawns, and caring for the elderly,’ Musk wrote in an essay published in China Cyberspace magazine.
But many social media users are now drawing comparisons to the 2004 Sci-fi movie I, Robot set in 2035, after seeing the clip of Musk’s droids.
Set in Chicago, the action film shows highly intelligent robots filling public service positions throughout the world, operating under three laws to keep humans safe.
But a technophobic homicide detective Del Spooner of the Chicago PD, played by Will Smith, heads the investigation of the apparent suicide of leading robotics scientist, Dr. Alfred Lanning and is left unconvinced of the motive.
Spooner’s investigation into Lanning’s death reveals a trail of secrets and agendas within the USR (United States Robotics) corporation and suspicions of murder.
But little does he know that his investigation would lead to uncovering a larger threat to humanity.
Beneath the Musk robot clip, several concerned viewers left comments likening the Optimus droids to the movie.
‘Am I the only one who remembers iRobot?’ wrote one X, formerly Twitter, user.
‘iRobot just became reality,’ warned another.
A third added: ‘Somebody call Detective Spooner! I’m getting i, Robot chills’
No, thank you. I saw «I, Robot», said one more.
A fifth chimed in: ‘We already saw this movie. Wasn’t it «I, Robot» with Will Smith. Doesn’t end well’.
Social media users have likened the Tesla Optimus robots to the 2004 action film I, Robot
X users shared their concerns in the comment section under the robot clip
Many uploaded GIFs and memes of I, Robot
One user said they were getting ‘chills’ after seeing the video
‘Tesla Bots are initially positioned to replace people in repetitive, boring, and dangerous tasks,’ Elon Musk explained in a 2022 essay
Other users made it clear they were not a fan of Musk’s bots
Social media users made reference to the 2004 Will Smith movie I, Robot
‘The vision is for them to serve millions of households, such as cooking, mowing lawns, and caring for the elderly,’ the mogul said
Musk in 2022 explained that the android, which will have human-like limbs and features, was deliberately designed that way.
‘The Tesla Bot is close to the height and weight of an adult, can carry or pick up heavy objects, walk fast in small steps, and the screen on its face is an interactive interface for communication with people.
‘You may wonder why we designed this robot with legs. Because human society is based on the interaction of a bipedal humanoid with two arms and ten fingers.
‘So if we want a robot to adapt to its environment and be able to do what humans do, it has to be roughly the same size, shape, and capabilities as a human,’ Musk explained.
The Tesla bot, which would be 5’8 and weigh 125 pounds, is set to include the Autopilot computer used in the company’s electric cars, which will allow the humanoid to recognize real-world objects, although the robot will have its own customized sensors and actuators.
It will also be able to ‘deadlift’ up to 150 pounds, carry 45 pounds, walk 5 miles per hour and have human-like hands plus visual sensors giving it the ability to ‘see.’
In I, Robot, highly intelligent robots fill public service positions throughout the world
Musk’s video showed the robots carrying out household chores
But just six months ago, the mogul warned a robot uprising could be imminent as he claimed AI will outsmart mankind by as early as the end of next year.
Speaking in an interview on X, the Tesla CEO claimed that AI would become more intelligent than the smartest human within two years.
And, within five years, Musk even predicts that ‘sentient’ AIs will outnumber humans.
His claims are based on the observation that an exponential amount of computing power is being turned over for AI projects each year.
‘AI is the fastest advancing technology I’ve seen of any kind, and I’ve seen a lot of technology,’ Musk said.
‘AI hardware and computers that are coming online dedicated to AI are increasing by a factor of 10 every year, if not every 6-9 months.’
