Elon Musk is set to make history in the business world once again. After launching Starlink in Indonesia, He shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, July 22nd, that Tesla plans to start “low production” of humanoid robots next year for internal use. Moreover, he mentioned that the Tesla robot, Optimus, will soon handle factory tasks and could be available for purchase by the end of 2025.
A year ago, Elon Musk stated that “Tesla was never about cars.” He emphasized that cars are just a stepping stone. Musk further revealed that his real ambition for Tesla is a humanoid robot called Optimus. A robot powered by AI to walk and move like a human. Musk believes Optimus will become Tesla’s biggest money-maker in the future.
Tesla’s Optimus: Costumes To Humanoid Robot
Optimus robot is named after Optimus Prime from “Transformers,” a science fiction film series. Tesla first introduced the humanoid in 2021 at Tesla AI Day, where a person in a robot costume broke into a dance. The following year, the company showcased a real robot that walked on stage and waved to the audience. Moreover, the company says the 5’8″ robot is built to handle “boring, repetitive, and dangerous” tasks. The company aims to price it at around $20,000 per unit.
Additionally, Musk tweeted, “Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year and, hopefully, high production for other companies in 2026.”
Towards A Robotic Era
Companies like Honda and Boston Dynamics have developed humanoid robots for years to address labor shortages and repetitive tasks. While these robots have been helpful in logistics and manufacturing, they face challenges with movement and understanding, potentially impacting their functionality.
Although robotics experts find the technology basic, they appreciate the affordable and accessible hardware. According to these experts, these robots are best used in settings where they don’t interact with people. In these settings, the failures will have minimal consequences, according to experts.
Optimus In The Factory
According to Musk’s tweet, Tesla will first use the Optimus robots in their factories. Ahead of the shareholder vote on Elon Musk’s pay package, Tesla shared on X that since 2018, they’ve deployed two Optimus robots, which are now working autonomously in the factory.
Additionally, Musk frequently posts on X about the small tasks Optimus can perform, such as folding a shirt.
Impact On Jobs
Robotics began in the auto industry with the Unimate arm at General Motors in the 1960s. Since then, robots have evolved greatly. Now robots are widely used, with millions deployed globally. In 2022, there were 151 robots per 10,000 workers worldwide, with even higher numbers in the U.S.
As robotics advance, concerns about job displacement have grown. For instance, Bill Gates has predicted that AI-powered robots could soon be more cost-effective than human workers, potentially replacing many blue-collar jobs.
However, despite being designed to mimic human tasks, robots lack human experiences and the quick adaptability of the human brain, which designs them.
