Tesla Unveils Humanoid Robot Powered by Vehicle Autopilot AI
Elon Musk introduces the Tesla Bot, a 5-foot-8 humanoid robot designed to handle boring and repetitive tasks using the company's self-driving AI. A working prototype is not yet available, but Musk promises the slow, easy-to-overpower machine is intended to be friendly.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils the Tesla Bot, a humanoid robot that runs on the exact same artificial intelligence system used to power Tesla's autonomous vehicles. A functioning prototype does not appear during the AI Day presentation, as Musk instead shows a few PowerPoint slides and a performer in a robot suit. The 5-foot-8-inch, 125-pound machine features the autopilot cameras found in Tesla cars to help it navigate an environment built for humans.
Musk emphasizes that the Tesla Bot eliminates dangerous, repetitive, and boring tasks, giving the example of sending the machine to the grocery store. He assures the audience that the robot is safe by pointing out that humans easily outrun and overpower it. This cautious approach contrasts with Musk's usual bold predictions, though he still suggests the robot profoundly changes the future of physical work.
The robot reveal follows a 90-minute presentation detailing Tesla's AI upgrades, including the Dojo supercomputer that trains cars to navigate city streets. Musk reiterates his longstanding concerns about the risks of artificial intelligence, claiming Tesla aims to build useful AI that is unequivocally good. Until the company actually builds a working version of this slow and friendly machine, the Tesla Bot remains a conceptual promise rather than a practical reality.