Tesla’s much-touted ‘Optimus’ robots were remotely controlled by humans to display some capabilities at the recent Cybercab event, Bloomberg reported citing sources.
The humanoid prototypes were used to “generate investor enthusiasm for forthcoming products”, the sources added.
Tesla did not immediately respond to queries, the report said.
Human Assistance for Tesla’s Robot
The report added that employees “oversaw many interactions between the bots and attendees at the Cybercab’s ‘We, Robot’ session in Los Angeles on October 10,” citing sources who did not want to be named. The bots used AI to walk without human control, they added.
Further, some attendees at the event also posted on social media that the Optimus bartender was “assisted by a human.” Notably, CEO Elon Musk did not state or disclose the human control and assistance during the launch event, the report said.
Thus, the revelations raise questions about the Optimus robot’s market readiness and actual capabilities. It gains even more importance as Musk believes the product to be “the biggest ever of any kind” and positioned it as a household helper to be eventually retailed at $20,000-30,000 each.
“What can it do? It can be a teacher, babysit your kids, it can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, or serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do,” Musk stated.
Optimus was one of several products highlighted at the event, along with the introduction of the Cybercab robotaxi and a van concept. Guests at the invite-only launch — including investors, Wall Street analysts and fans of the automaker — took short rides in autonomously driven vehicles that were not human-controlled.
Investors Excited by Optimus at Launch
Many of the attendees cited their interactions with Optimus as a standout feature of the Tesla showcase.
“Optimus stole the show in my view. Optimus paraded in and danced and looked remarkably human,” Nancy Tengler, CEO of Laffer Tengler Investments, said in a note to clients after attending the event.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called the soiree a “glimpse of the future,” saying in a writeup that the human-mimicking robot is “potentially much closer to a reality” than thought heading into the evening.
Gene Munster, managing partner of growth investment firm Deepwater Asset Management, acknowledged the idea that Optimus was remotely controlled and said he had been “fooled” at the event. Still, he said in a post on Musk’s X platform, it gave a “window into the potential around these products.”
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
