At a Silicon Valley event, Optimus made an appearance on stage and raised its knees while waving to the crowd. The CEO stated that although the robot was still under development, it might be available for purchase in a few years.
Company engineers say that Tesla’s mass-market robots will be tested by working jobs in the car factories. The prototype was wheeled on stage during an annual Tesla AI [artificial intelligence] Day presentation.
People were shown a video of Optimus performing simple tasks, such as watering plants, carrying boxes, and lifting metal bars. Mr. Musk said the robots would be produced en masse, at a cost lower than $20,000 (£17,900), and be available in three to five years.
The Tesla boss spoke of “a future of abundance” ahead.
“It really is a fundamental transformation of civilization as we know it,” he continued.
Investors and financial analysts have expressed skepticism that Tesla will turn to robotics, advising it to focus on projects closer to Tesla’s core business of electric cars.
But Mr. Musk said he wanted to solve one of the most challenging problems in artificial intelligence: how to make a machine that can replace a human.
The entrepreneur, who once warned of artificial intelligence is a threat to humanity, said that Tesla wanted to make sure the transition to a society in which robots did the work and people reaped the benefits was a safe one.
“We always want to be careful we don’t go down the Terminator path,” he cautioned, referring to a blockbuster film about a killer cyborg.
He continued by saying that Tesla was incorporating safety features, such as an impenetrable stop button. Mr. Musk said that the public company’s social responsibility would be decided by its shareholders.
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