Tesla Unveils Optimus Humanoid Robot
On Friday, Tesla unveiled a prototype of its Optimus humanoid robot that, for the first time, was able to perform without support. It was seen walking, raising its hands, and executing other basic functions.
Facts
- On Friday, Tesla unveiled a prototype of its Optimus humanoid robot that, for the first time, was able to perform without support. It was seen walking, raising its hands, and executing other basic functions.
- The robot was revealed at Tesla's AI 2022, with Elon Musk promising to deliver a commercial product that will likely cost consumers less than $20k. While there has yet to be a set timeframe for availability, Musk mentioned that the product could be ready for purchase in 3-5 years.
- The robot contains a 2.3kWh battery pack and runs on a Tesla state of charge (SoC) with Wi-Fi and LTE capabilities. According to Musk, Tesla's robots differ from other manufacturers' designs in that they are created for the mass production of millions of units.
- During the unveiling several robots were brought on stage in various phases of production. The robots will reportedly be tested by working jobs in Tesla factories.
- According to Musk, this latest reveal is part of Tesla's effort to become more than just a company that makes "cool cars" and to reshape into an industry leader in artificial intelligence.
- Musk predicts that Optimus will have a monumental impact on civilization and the economy, which he says is limited by people and productivity. Musk said that "an economy becomes quasi-infinite" with AI that can handle manual labor.
Sources: TechCrunch, Forbes, NBC, Verge, and Business Insider.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Spectrum. Tesla is failing to meet the standard it set for itself. There was nothing wrong with the Optimus prototype but, there was nothing right with it, either. Based on what was unveiled, Tesla's robot will not make the same industry splash as Musk did with SpaceX and electric cars.
- Narrative B, as provided by Clean Technica. Tesla has secured the best AI talent to build Optimus, and the outlook of this latest venture is promising. A fully functioning robot could increase labor and productivity, potentially changing the economy as we know it. Musk's robot will encompass the same Tesla Vision approach used on its industry-changing cars; why shouldn't Optimus experience the same success?
- Cynical narrative, as provided by The Conversation. Regardless of whether Optimus is successful or not, the intent behind its production is concerning. This type of technology can completely alter our future and revamp our industries. While this may sound like a good thing, our environment was made by humans for humans, and, in its attempt to fit into our domain, this endeavor could bring more problems than its worth.
