At ‘We Robot’ Humans were controlling Tesla Optimus bots

At Tesla’s “We, Robot” event last week, which received extensive coverage, including from TechCrunch, Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots took center stage. Videos surfaced showing the robots mingling with guests, dancing, mixing drinks, and even holding conversations. Many attendees, largely Tesla investors and fans, were awestruck by the bots’ advanced capabilities. One investor who shared a video of Optimus using different voices was convinced that Tesla’s AI chatbot Grok powered the robots, though he didn’t ask the bot to confirm this, too amazed by the display.

It seems, however, that much of the event was designed to create excitement and wonder among fans and investors. Various outlets, including Bloomberg and The Verge, reported that many of the robots’ interactions were, in fact, remote-controlled by humans. Observers noted that the bots’ responses, including changes in voice and synchronized gestures, pointed to teleoperation. Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley analyst, also mentioned in a report that human intervention was involved during the event.

While the Optimus robots were able to walk on their own, sources told Bloomberg that employees were controlling much of the interactions remotely. One clip even showed an Optimus bartender admitting that it was being “assisted by a human.” This human involvement raised questions about the robots’ current capabilities and whether they are close to becoming market-ready, especially given their anticipated price range of $20,000 to $30,000.

Elon Musk, addressing the audience, emphasized how far the robots have come, suggesting that if development continues at this pace, Optimus could eventually be an everyday household item, performing tasks like walking the dog, babysitting, mowing the lawn, or just serving drinks. Musk likened the future robots to iconic characters like R2-D2 and C-3PO, able to perform virtually any task.

Despite the spectacle, Tesla’s stock dropped by 11% following the event, likely due to Musk’s failure to provide concrete updates on near-term revenue plans for the Robotaxi and advancements in Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology. Nevertheless, some analysts, like George Gianarikas of Canaccord Genuity, were unphased by the revelation that humans controlled the robots. Gianarikas highlighted the robots’ remarkable dexterity and Tesla’s potential to dominate the robotics industry due to its expertise in manufacturing, motor design, electronics, and mechanical engineering.