During a recent earnings call, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, referred to the company’s humanoid robot lab, drawing parallels to the HBO drama “Westworld” and even extending an invitation to the show’s creators for a tour. However, Tesla executive Drew Baglino advised against using “Westworld” as a comparison due to the show’s grim themes related to robots causing harm to humans.
Prior to this, Musk shared a video on X showcasing the lab’s progress, featuring a robot named Optimus folding a shirt. Previously, Tesla had released footage displaying a motor design engineer working on a robot in a warehouse-like space equipped with tool storage shelves.
Elon Musk says Tesla’s Optimus lab looks like something out of ‘Westworld’ https://t.co/ziTycySYtB
— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) January 29, 2024
While specific details about the lab, named Optimus, remain undisclosed, Tesla actively hired for over 50 robotics roles last year, many of which were based in Palo Alto, California. Musk also indicated during the earnings call that there is a “good chance” the company will begin shipping units of Optimus next year, and that updates on the project’s progress will be provided to the public every few months.
Image Source: Frederic Legrand – COMEO @ShutterStock