Elon Musk showcases army of $30,000 ‘Optimus’ robots designed to help with household chores including ‘babysitting your kids’ … drawing comparisons to dystopian future depicted in I, Robot

Elon Musk has put on display his army of $30,000 Tesla Optimus robots designed to help with household chores, prompting people to draw comparisons to the dystopian future depicted in I, Robot.

In shocking and impressive images, the humanoid robots were seen walking stiffly behind each other across a stage, while viewers stood on the sidelines with their mouths open.

Musk said visitors could walk up to the Optimus robots that would do things like serve drinks.

“On a large scale, you should be able to buy an Optimus robot for $20,000 to $30,000,” he said.

“He can walk your dog, mow your lawn, do the shopping, just be your friend.”

The footage also shows the humanoid bot sitting at a family table, lying with a child, wiping a kitchen surface and collecting mail.

The robot, intended for industrial and domestic use, debuted at AI Day on September 30 after first being announced at AI Day in August 2021.

‘Tesla Bots are primarily positioned to replace humans in repetitive, boring and dangerous tasks. But the vision is that they can serve millions of households, doing things like cooking, mowing lawns and caring for the elderly,” Musk wrote in a essay published in China Cyberspace magazine.

But many social media users are now drawing comparisons to the 2004 science fiction film I, Robot set in 2035, after seeing the clip of Musk’s droids.

Set in Chicago, the action film features highly intelligent robots that perform government functions around the world and operate under three laws to protect people.

But a technophobic Chicago Police Department homicide detective Del Spooner, played by Will Smith, leads the investigation into the apparent suicide of leading robotics scientist Dr. Alfred Lanning and is not convinced of the motive.

Spooner’s investigation into Lanning’s death uncovers a trail of secrets and agendas within the USR (United States Robotics) company and suspicions of murder.

But little does he know that his research would lead to uncovering a greater threat to humanity.

Below the Musk robot clip, several concerned viewers left comments comparing the Optimus droids to the movie.

“Am I the only one who remembers iRobot?” wrote one X, formerly a Twitter user.

“iRobot just became a reality,” another warned.

A third added: “Someone call Detective Spooner! I get it, Robot gets chills’

No, thank you. I saw “I, Robot,” said another.

A fifth chimed in: “We’ve already seen this movie. Wasn’t it “I, Robot” with Will Smith? Doesn’t end well’.

Musk explained in 2022 that the android, which will have human-like limbs and features, was deliberately designed that way.

‘The Tesla Bot is almost the height and weight of an adult, can carry or pick up heavy objects, walk quickly in small steps and the screen on its face is an interactive interface for communicating with people.

‘You might be wondering why we designed this robot with legs. Because human society is based on the interaction of a bipedal humanoid with two arms and ten fingers.

“So if we want a robot to adapt to its environment and do what humans do, it needs to be about the same size, shape and capabilities as a human,” Musk explains.

The Tesla bot, which would stand 6 feet tall and weigh 125 pounds, will house the Autopilot computer used in the company’s electric cars, allowing it to recognize human-like objects from the real world, although the robot will have its own custom sensors. and actuators.

It will also be able to deadlift up to 150 pounds, carry 45 pounds, run 5 miles per hour and have human-like hands plus visual sensors that give it the ability to “see.”

But just six months ago, the mogul warned that a robot uprising could be imminent, claiming AI will outsmart humanity as early as the end of next year.

In an interview on X, Tesla’s CEO claimed that AI would become more intelligent than the smartest human within two years.

And within five years, Musk even predicts that there will be more “conscious” AIs than humans.

His claims are based on the observation that an exponential amount of computing power is deployed on AI projects every year.

“AI is the fastest advancing technology I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of technology,” Musk said.

‘AI hardware and computers that come online specifically for AI are increasing by a factor of 10 every year, if not every 6-9 months.’