Tesla recently held its “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles, and it was an occasion marked by surprises and significant announcements from CEO Elon Musk. Not only did he unveil the self-driving taxi, the “Cybercab,” but Musk also brought the humanoid robot “Optimus” to the forefront, capturing the audience’s attention.
Musk referred to Optimus as “the most important product of all time,” highlighting its potential to handle tasks like mowing the lawn, walking dogs, caring for loved ones, and serving as a companion to humans. He mentioned that once mass production begins, these robots could cost less than a car, estimated to be between $20,000 and $30,000.
Joy, a prominent Chinese-American influencer known as Teslajoy on YouTube, was invited to the event and had the opportunity for an up-close interaction with the robot. In her video recording, when she complimented the robot by saying, “You are really cool,” Optimus responded with, “You are really cool too!” The playful exchange continued when someone inquired about the robot’s age, to which it replied, “Although I’ve been in production for a while, I’m not sure how old I am.” When asked if it could high-five, Optimus responded, “We can high-five, but no physical contact.” Additionally, when its high-five rhythm was off with the audience, it requested to try again.
However, Optimus didn’t always comply with requests. When someone asked it to read the caption on a hat, it responded, “I’m sorry, I don’t wish to read at this moment.”
Joy expressed some skepticism about Optimus’s autonomy. Although the robot showcased some dance moves at her invitation, it did not respond immediately after she thanked it with a “Thank you, Optimus.”
Several media outlets reported that the robots were partially operated via remote control during the event. Insider information shared with Bloomberg indicated that while the Optimus prototype could walk independently using AI, many interactions between the robots and attendees were monitored by remote staff during the event. Analysts from Morgan Stanley also noted that these robots “relied on remote operations” for human intervention.
In a viral social media clip, a robot preparing drinks acknowledged that it had received “human assistance.”
Joy admitted she wasn’t surprised by the remote control aspect, considering the event took place at a film studio (Warner Bros. lot), where such technology is easily implementable. Nevertheless, she was impressed by Optimus’s fluid and natural movements, which evoked a human-like feel. “I really look forward to the day when Optimus becomes a home companion robot,” she remarked.