Tesla Inc. recently showcased its next-generation humanoid robot, Optimus, at an event aimed at sparking investor interest in future products. During the “We, Robot” presentation near Los Angeles, remote human operators controlled some functions of the robot prototypes, according to sources familiar with the event.
Employees outside the main stage managed many interactions between the Optimus robots and attendees. Although the prototypes could walk autonomously using artificial intelligence, the involvement of human operators raised questions about the robot’s capabilities and market readiness. Despite this, CEO Elon Musk expressed high expectations, claiming Optimus could become “the biggest product ever of any kind,” with a potential retail price of $20,000 to $30,000.
Musk described the various tasks Optimus could perform, such as teaching, babysitting, walking dogs, mowing lawns, and even serving drinks. The showcase allowed non-employees to engage directly with the robots for the first time, observing them pouring drinks, giving high fives, and playing games like rock, paper, scissors.
While the event introduced several products, including the Cybercab robotaxi, the presentation faced criticism for lacking technical depth and clarity on the robotaxi plans. Following the event, Tesla’s stock saw its most significant decline in over two months.
Interestingly, Musk had initially not planned to include Optimus in the event. However, he requested its participation just three weeks prior, resulting in the necessity for remote control due to insufficient time to prepare the software. Despite some attendees being aware of the remote operation, many were still impressed, with Nancy Tengler, CEO of Laffer Tengler Investments, noting that Optimus “stole the show.”
Analyst Dan Ives described the event as a glimpse into the future, indicating that the humanoid robot might be closer to reality than previously believed.
