Elon Musk unveils his vision about the future of Tesla at the ‘We, Robot’ event on October 10, 2024, where robots danced and posed for photos. The secret got out that the robots were being remotely controlled by humans.
Below is a preview of my full interactive article on Medium. Go to the original article to watch the videos embedded from X.com.
Ifyou didn’t attend the ‘We, Robot’ event on October 10, 2024, held at Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, California, well you certainly missed an opportunity to be served drinks or to get a selfie with Optimus Gen 2.
The event turned out to not only be a reveal of the robo-taxis and robo-vans, but also a more in-depth glimpse at the Optimus Gen 2 robots.
Unveiling of Optimus Robots at ‘We, Robot’ Event
Elon Musk posted the following video clip from the ‘We, Robot’ event on Thursday night.
Elon Musk: ‘Whatever you can think of, it will do’
At the ‘We, Robot’ event, Elon Musk — the visionary — said:
“It will do anything you want,” Musk said. “It can be a teacher, babysit your kids, walk your dog, mow your lawn, do your groceries, be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of it will do, and yeah, it’s gonna be awesome.
I think this will be the greatest product ever of any kind because I think every one of the 8 billion people of Earth, I think everyone is going to want their Optimus buddy, and there’s gonna be maybe two.” -Elon Musk, Tesla CEO
But just because Uncle Elon said it, doesn’t mean that you should let the Optimus Robot babysit your kids, although I wouldn’t mind if it would wash my car regularly.
The price tag, according to Elon Musk, “will be between $20,000 to $30,000, once they are produced at scale.”
Below is an image showing people interacting and posing for photos with an Optimus Gen 2 robot at the event.
Don’t Forget About the Tesla Robo-Taxis!
The wow factor of the Optimus bots “among humans” may have overshadowed that this was originally set to be the date for the unveiling of the Tesla taxis.
Those in attendance were able to ride in the Tesla taxis at Warner Bros. studios, which had pre-determined routes for the taxis to give free rides.
Below is an image of Elon Musk getting into a Tesla taxi “robo-taxi” coupe.
Also seen (pictured below) is a futuristic-looking Tesla “robo-van” bus.
Below you can see a video clip of the Tesla RoboVan at the event.
Optimus Robots at the After Party
“The Optimus robots will walk among you,” said Elon Musk at the ‘We, Robot’ event, which was met with cheers in the audience. He continued, “Please be nice to the Optimus robots, so you’ll be able to walk right up to them, and um, they’ll serve drinks at the bar…” (see photo below of an Optimus handing out gift bags at the after party)
Do the Robots use A.I. or Not…That is the Question
Jalopnik reported that the Optimus robot bartending (seen in the clip below) may not have been operating autonomously at all, claiming that it was actually being remote-controlled by a Tesla employee.
Jalopnik reported that “AI enthusiast” Robert Scoble flat-out asked a Tesla Optimus robot “Hey Optimus, how much of you is actually AI?”
The robot’s operator replied, “I would say, it might be some,” and that it was something he would have to find out later. That interaction can be seen below.
The more important question that lingers after this interaction is, “Will humans be remotely controlling the future commercial Optimus robots for sale, or will the robots be 100% autonomous?”
The Verge: Tesla Fans Were Impressed at ‘We, Robot’ Event
The Verge reported, “There were plenty of Tesla fans who were thoroughly impressed by what they saw last night and ready to declare that it was “game over” for every other player in the field. The Robo-van wowed many with its Art Deco styling. And positive vibes extended to the company’s most bullish investors, some of whom participated in Musk’s theme park experience and came away forever altered.”
The event gave attendees a glimpse into Elon Musk’s vision of the future, which appears very lucrative for Musk if every person buys two Tesla Optimus “buddies.”
This could deepen the gap between the rich and the poor if only the elite can afford Optimus bots.
Reader Poll: What do you think about the future of Tesla with this ‘We, Robot’ event? (share your thoughts in the comments)
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Sources
TikTok profile: @barstoolsports
DaSilva, Amber. “Tesla’s Beer-Serving Optimus Robot Was Controlled By A Human The Whole Time.” Jalopnik. 11 October 2024.
“Elon Musk Shares His Vision for Optimus Robots at ‘We, Robot’ Event.” CNET. 11 October 2024.
Elon Musk on X.com (formerly Twitter)
Hawkins, Andrew. “The Tesla Cybercab is a cool-looking prototype that needed to be much more than that.” The Verge. 11 October 2024.
Hughes, Liz. “Humanoid Robots Serve Drinks, Party With Guests at Tesla We Robot Event.” IOT WORLD TODAY. 11 October 2024.
Robert Scoble on X.com (formerly Twitter)
