Tesla Inc responded to blowback over its robots relying on remote human operators at an event last week with a video demonstrating the progress its prototypes are making in moving around on their own.
The less than 90-second video was posted on X, the social media network owned by Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk. It shows Tesla’s Optimus walking around a factory floor, locating and navigating to a charging dock, carrying around a tray of batteries and scaling stairs. It closes with clips of the robot handing out bottled drinks and bags of popcorn to what appear to be Tesla employees.
Musk personally approved the video, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing company operations.
Tesla posted the clip days after Bloomberg News reported that employees stationed at its "We, Robot” party last week oversaw many of the interactions between the humanoid machines and attendees. The reliance on remote human operators contrasted with statements Musk made on stage about his vision of the bots’ potential capabilities.
"Whatever you can think of, it will do,” the CEO said, citing examples including babysitting kids, walking the dog, mowing the lawn, getting groceries and serving drinks.
At least one attendee – Gene Munster, managing partner of growth-investment firm Deepwater Asset Management – said after the event he’d been "fooled” by Tesla’s use of teleoperators. Milan Kovac, who now oversees the Optimus program, has since acknowledged on X that the prototypes at last week’s event were human-assisted "to some extent.”
Tesla has posted Optimus videos demonstrating the product’s capabilities before. In the new video posted on X, Tesla touted its use of artificial intelligence to train Optimus to interact with people.
"Optimus’ walk has become more confident,” the opening caption reads. "It can now explore unseen spaces autonomously, avoiding people and obstacles using neural nets running on its computer all while capturing visual cues specific to its environment.”
The video closes with people walking up to a bottled water and popcorn stand and pointing to the items they want. An Optimus bot hands it to them, something it needed human assistance to do at the Tesla event. They wave and then walk away. – Bloomberg
