Elon Musk on Friday unveiled two prototypes of the humanoid robot Optimus, which his company Tesla hopes to one day produce in “millions” to “transform civilization” and build a “future of abundance” where poverty will have disappeared.
“Bumble C,” an early version of the robot, arrived as he gingerly walked onto the California stage of the annual “Tesla AI Day” conference on the electric-car maker’s advances in artificial intelligence. The robot drew a wave and the video showed it carrying a package to an employee and watering the plants.
Employees also brought in a more advanced Optimus prototype, with fewer exposed wires but still unable to walk on its own. Elon Musk acknowledged that other organizations have designed more sophisticated robots, but “they don’t have brains and they don’t have the intelligence to move on their own… And they are much loved,” he said.
The Tesla boss points to a robot that will eventually cost “probably less than $20,000” and be designed to be replicated in “millions of units.” Bet on the first deliveries within three to five years. The conference should serve to recruit more engineers to achieve this goal, and thus “fundamentally transform civilization.”
The billionaire presented in 2021 this project of a robot that can perform repetitive tasks instead of humans.
“A lot of people think we’re just a cool builder,” but Tesla is also “the leader in artificial intelligence,” Elon Musk said.
Since the announcement of the humanoid robot, “Musk is facing doubters,” said analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. “The market is focused on improved batteries, new factory production capabilities (Berlin, Austin) and competition from all sides for electric cars. Not humanoid robots.”
Elon Musk plans to test Optimus at the group’s factory in California to prove its usefulness. He hopes that the robot will one day be “friendly” and that talking to him will feel “natural.” He also promised security features to avoid a “Terminator-like scenario.”
“Of course there will be a ‘catgirl’ version of our Optimus robot,” the whimsical businesswoman tweeted during the conference, with a photo of a female silhouette from the back, camped out in front of a row of metallic robots.
He also said, twice, that it was “essential” that the company building this robot go public, “because if the public doesn’t like what Tesla is doing, the public can buy shares and vote differently.”
“It’s very important that he can’t do what he wants,” he added with a laugh. This comment will not go unnoticed in the context of the conflict between him and Twitter, and should lead to a high-stakes trial in mid-October.
The world’s richest man signed a social media takeover deal in the spring, before reconsidering his decision in July. The platform is suing him to force him to fulfill his commitment. Elon Musk had said that he wanted to make Twitter a private company (not listed on the stock market), which would therefore escape any external control.
Source: BFM TV
