During the recent “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles, Tesla CEO Elon Musk surprised attendees by introducing the humanoid robot “Optimus,” which quickly became the highlight of the show. Alongside the unveiling of the self-driving taxi “Cybercab,” Musk described Optimus as “the most important product ever,” envisioning a future where it could handle tasks such as lawn care, dog walking, family assistance, and companionship.
Musk mentioned that once in mass production, the cost of these robots could be lower than that of a car, estimated to be between $20,000 and $30,000.
Joy, a Chinese-American vlogger from Southern California and attendee of the event, had a chance for a close interaction with Optimus. In a video she shared, when she complimented the robot by saying, “You’re really cool,” it responded with, “You’re really cool too!” Furthermore, when asked about its age, Optimus replied, “Although I’ve been around for a while, I’m not sure how old I am.” The robot also humorously suggested that while they could high-five, there shouldn’t be any physical contact, and it requested to try again when it missed the rhythm of a high-five with the audience.
However, not all requests were met. When someone asked the robot to read the caption on a hat, it declined, stating, “I’m sorry, I don’t feel like reading right now.”
Despite the impressive display, Joy expressed some skepticism about Optimus’s autonomy. While it performed a few dance moves upon her request, there was a delay in its response after she thanked it, leading Joy to question the level of independence it actually has.
Multiple media outlets reported that the robots were partially operated through remote control during the event. Insiders informed Bloomberg that while the Optimus prototype could walk using artificial intelligence without external control, many of its interactions were supervised remotely by staff during the event. Analysts at Morgan Stanley also noted that the robots “rely on remote operation” or human intervention.
In a separate viral video, a cocktail-making robot acknowledged it received “human assistance.”
Joy commented that she wasn’t surprised by the reliance on remote control, given that the event took place at a film studio (Warner Bros. lot), where such technology is feasible. Nevertheless, she was taken aback by the fluidity and naturalness of Optimus’s movements, stating, “I look forward to the day when Optimus becomes a household companion robot.”
