Did Elon Musk just make the ‘I, Robot’ film a reality? Not really

The future of AI and robotics took center stage during Elon Musk’s unveiling of Tesla’s upcoming projects last week. However, some thought the event more as a performance than a showcase of groundbreaking technology.
As previously reported by Deseret News, Tesla’s stock dropped 8% following the event, reflecting uncertainty around the ambitious promises Musk made during his presentation.
Among the technologies Musk highlighted were the Cybercab, a self-driving taxi and the Tesla Robovan, an autonomous vehicle capable of carrying 20 passengers. He also introduced Optimus, a humanoid robot named after the “Transformers” franchise character.
The event, titled “We, Robot,” drew inspiration from the 2004 film “I, Robot,” starring Will Smith, which portrays a world where advanced robots turn on humans.
The similarities between the event and the movie extend beyond the name. The autonomous vehicles and Optimus bore a striking resemblance to the technology depicted in the film.
Alex Proyas, the director of “I, Robot,” even weighed in, posting on X, “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please?”
However, people may not have much to fear from these robots — at least for now — as recent reports revealed that the supposedly fully autonomous android, Optimus, was actually receiving assistance from a remote human operator during the event, per Bloomberg.
At the “We, Robot” event, Optimus was shown performing tasks such as bartending and dancing while interacting with guests.
Per Futurism, Musk said Optimus would be able to “be a teacher, babysit your kids, it can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do.”
These promises are exciting. But the videos circulating of the robot show that it still has much to improve on and it appears far from fully replacing humans.
In fact, the robot required human assistance to perform the functions showcased at the event.
One post on X showed guests getting drinks from the bartending robot. The post noted, “This is not wholly AI. A human is remote assisting.”
When asked how they knew, the poster responded, “I asked,” and shared another video of Optimus being questioned about whether it was being remotely operated.
Optimus replied, “I can’t disclose just how much. That’s something you’ll have to find out later.”
When further prompted, it added, “I would say, it might be some.”
According to Business Insider, Musk said that Optimus will be “the biggest product ever of any kind.”
While “We, Robot” left much to be desired, the robot has made remarkable strides in the last few years.
When the Optimus robot was first announced in 2021, it was accompanied by a person breakdancing in a robot costume. The following year, an actual robot, though only capable of waving, was showcased, as previously reported by Deseret News.
This year, Optimus performed functional tasks, sparking curiosity about what next year might hold.
In a July post on X, Musk revealed, “Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year and, hopefully, high production for other companies in 2026.”
At “We, Robot,” Musk revealed further details, stating that Optimus could be priced around $20,000 to $30,000, per Business Insider.