Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently unveiled new prototypes for his Tesla Optimus robots along with the self-driving robotaxi (Cybercab), and autonomous Robovan, and I, Robot director Alex Proyas is accusing Musk of ripping off his robot designs from the film.
I’m not seeing it. They all just look like different sci-fi designs to me. It’s not like Proyas’ work is wholly original either as the designs in his film were inspired by other designs that came before. Proyas clearly isn’t a fan of Musk and is just looking to pick a fight with him.
Musk shared comparison images and wrote on X: “Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please?”
As for the Optimus robot, during the reveal, at first it seemed to be unmanned, but it was later revealed to be tele-operated by humans in real-time. So, it wasn’t really as cool as it could’ve been had the robots operated without humans.
The Cybercab comes with wing-like doors, which is a design that has been around forever, and it doesn’t have a steering wheel or pedals.
Musk also revealed the Robovan, which is a glorified self-driving bus that can transport goods and/or up to 20 people.
After the event, there was a significant drop in Tesla stock signaling disappointment from investors. But then Musk’s SpaceX pulled off that recent awesome rocket booster landing, which is pretty damn impressive! You win some, you lose some.
Proyas will be shooting his next film in Sydney, Australia later this year, a sci-fi satire film titled R.U.R.
