During a recent event in Los Angeles titled “We, Robot,” Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk took the stage not only to unveil the autonomous taxi “Cybercab” but also to surprise the audience with the appearance of the humanoid robot “Optimus.” This unveiling quickly became the highlight of the event.
Musk described Optimus as “the most important product ever,” claiming it will be capable of tasks such as mowing lawns, walking dogs, caring for family members, or even serving as a companion. He stated that when mass production begins, the cost of these robots will fall below that of a car, estimated to range between $20,000 to $30,000.
Joy, a Chinese-American YouTuber (Teslajoy@Youtube), was invited to the event and had a close-up interaction with Optimus. In her video, when she complimented the robot by saying, “You’re really cool,” Optimus replied, “You’re cool too!” When asked about its age, the robot humorously responded, “I’ve been around for a while, but I can’t be sure of my age.” Responding to a request for a high-five, it stated, “We can high-five, but no physical contact,” and if the timing of the high-five was off, it requested a do-over.
However, Optimus was not responsive to every prompt. When someone asked it to read the text on a hat, it declined, saying, “I’m really sorry, but I don’t feel like reading right now.”
Joy expressed some concerns about the robot’s autonomy. Although Optimus performed a few dance moves upon her invitation, it didn’t respond immediately when she thanked it. Various media outlets reported that during the event, many of the robots’ actions were actually controlled remotely by humans. A source speaking to Bloomberg noted that while the prototype could walk without external control thanks to AI, remote employees managed many of the interactions during the event. Analysts from Morgan Stanley also indicated that these robots “rely on remote operation.”
In a video circulating on social media, a robot mixing drinks admitted that it received “human assistance.”
Joy wasn’t surprised by this. She mentioned that the event venue was essentially a movie studio (Warner Bros. Studio), making remote control technology feasible. Nonetheless, she was impressed by Optimus’s dexterity: “Its movements are very natural and fluid, resembling human motions closely. I look forward to the day when Optimus becomes a household companion robot.”
