Tesla Optimus robots were all remotely controlled by humans at "We, Robot" event

[Skye Jacobs]

A hot potato: Tesla's splashy "We, Robot" event generated excitement among enthusiasts, but it also highlighted the complexities involved in developing truly autonomous robots and vehicles. The Cybercab is facing regulatory challenges before it becomes mainstream. As for the Optimus robots seen at the show, they were controlled by humans.

Tesla's "We, Robot" event showcased the company's latest advancements in autonomous technology, but the stars of the afterparty were the Optimus robots, which mingled with guests, served drinks, and even danced. However, if you were curious about the progress of these robots, this event was not the right venue to find answers. As it turned out, they were actually controlled by humans behind the scenes.

Robert Scoble, an AI enthusiast present at the event, initially shared videos of the robots in action. However, he later revealed that the robots were being "remote assisted" by humans. This information came to light when Scoble had a conversation with one of the robot operators.

I asked. pic.twitter.com/FkgPrdRlyW

– Robert Scoble (@Scobleizer) October 11, 2024

There were several signs suggesting that a human was in control of the robots. Each Optimus had a distinct voice, and its responses were immediate and accompanied by matching gestures. These characteristics are not typical of current AI technology, which often has a delay in processing and responding to complex, real-time interactions.

In one revealing interaction, when asked about the level of AI involvement, an Optimus robot (or rather, its human operator) responded, "Today, I am assisted by a human." The voice even stumbled over the word "autonomous," which is not something a true robot would do.

Optimus appears to be remotely controlled... for now! pic.twitter.com/L89fz8cnOM

– The Kilowatts �-â¡ï¸Â (@klwtts) October 11, 2024

Despite the use of human operators, many attendees did not express disappointment or feel misled. The event seemed to be more of a showcase of potential future capabilities rather than a demonstration of current technology.

Some are it's easy to tell. The bar ones were not and much more robotic. The virtual presence still has big use implications for dangerous missions like fires and mars. It was crowded but fun night.

– Exit Liquidity (@TheRealAndyHere) October 11, 2024

Still, the revelation raises questions about the current state of Tesla's humanoid robotics program. While the company has made significant strides since first introducing Optimus, the extent of the robots' autonomous capabilities remains unclear.

Clearly, Elon Musk is betting big on the technology. Musk has called the robot Tesla's most important in-development product, potentially bigger than its vehicle business. He's also very enthusiastic about their potential. Musk has said the Tesla robot could be an "incredible buddy like C3PO or R2-D2" and that it will be able to "develop a personality over time that is unique." He suggested they could do the cooking and cleaning for owners, or even teach their children.

Musk has previously said that Optimus could enter limited production by 2025, with over 1,000 robots potentially operational in Tesla factories by the end of that year. However, the reliance on human control during this high-profile event suggests that fully autonomous humanoid robots may still be some way off.

Permalink to story:

Tesla Optimus robots were all remotely controlled by humans at "We, Robot" event

 

[Uncle Al]

Once again, as before on MANY occasions, Musk is a fraud that can't be believed or trusted .....

 

[ShadowDeath]

Once again, as before on MANY occasions, Musk is a fraud that can't be believed or trusted .....

I don't know about "fraud." The dude certainly over estimates things and releases things way later than he initially says he would. I would take a late product or a hacked together demonstration like this over the alternative. You look at neurolink they have made amazing strides that a fraud wouldn't be able to achieve. SpaceX caught their own rocket which is something that a fraud wouldn't have been able to achieve. Tesla is constantly rolling out EVs and does it so well that even Ford and Chevy can't compete. Yes, I know he didn't create the things himself but let's be honest... Most likely him don't, they invest in start-ups that do, and hire people with the talents to work at those companies.

Just remember when SpaceX first started using the rocket for trips to space NASA scoffed at them calling it out dated. Now they're relying on SpaceX and by proxy Elon Musk to send their stuff into space. We won't even talk about the Boeing blunder that absolutely nobody should be surprised by. Lol

 

[The Talking Tech]

Once again, Musk deceiving people.
Shocker.....lol

 

[FF222]

I don't know about "fraud." The dude certainly over estimates things and releases things way later than he initially says he would.

Or he doesn't deliver them at all. And/or not at the price he promised. And/or not with the features he promised. Each of which classifies as a fraud, if the person making the promise had no good reason to assume he can actually fulfill the promises. And Musk never has good reasons to fulfill the promises he makes, as he's either just blindly guessing but presenting that as a fact, or he's intentionally misleading.

I would take a late product or a hacked together demonstration like this over the alternative.

Over what alternative? Over another company actually capable of delivering the product getting funded and delivering the product? Because that's what we are talking about here. Musk announces things with the goal to 1. pump the stock price, and 2. to prevent investors giving money to competitors who could actually deliver the products, could deliver better products, or could deliver them sooner than Musk actually does. But because they think Tesla is so far ahead of the competition, they invest in Tesla instead, which then fails to deliver the product as promised, while several other, more capable startups go out of business.

You look at neurolink they have made amazing strides that a fraud wouldn't be able to achieve.

Musk being a fraud has nothing to do with other people working at his companies achieving things. Which btw have also been done before. It's not like this is a first where patients received brain implants and were able to control a computer or something. BrainGate did this 20 years ago.

SpaceX caught their own rocket which is something that a fraud wouldn't have been able to achieve.

Again, it was not Musk who designed this, and him being a fraud has nothing to do with other, actually smart and capable people achieving something.

Tesla is constantly rolling out EVs and does it so well that even Ford and Chevy can't compete.

Which is factually not true, and not even a material comparison. BYD already sells more EVs than Tesla. And it's a Chinese company. Even if Tesla would sell more EVs, that still wouldn't mean Musk is not a con man.

Just remember when SpaceX first started

It's irrelevant what SpaceX did as to whether Musk is an overpromising fraud, especially that 1. at no point was Musk the brain behind SpaceX either, and 2. that Musk also promised in 2016 SpaceX bringing colonies of people to Mars in 2024. We already know that this won't happen, and that it won't happen for a very, very long time int he future either.


Musk is a fraud, who is virtually a technical illiterate in every regard, and who intentionally deceives everyone for personal and financial gains. Period.

 

[DZillaXx]

Or he doesn't deliver them at all. And/or not at the price he promised. And/or not with the features he promised. Each of which classifies as a fraud, if the person making the promise had no good reason to assume he can actually fulfill the promises. And Musk never has good reasons to fulfill the promises he makes, as he's either just blindly guessing but presenting that as a fact, or he's intentionally misleading.


Over what alternative? Over another company actually capable of delivering the product getting funded and delivering the product? Because that's what we are talking about here. Musk announces things with the goal to 1. pump the stock price, and 2. to prevent investors giving money to competitors who could actually deliver the products, could deliver better products, or could deliver them sooner than Musk actually does. But because they think Tesla is so far ahead of the competition, they invest in Tesla instead, which then fails to deliver the product as promised, while several other, more capable startups go out of business.


Musk being a fraud has nothing to do with other people working at his companies achieving things. Which btw have also been done before. It's not like this is a first where patients received brain implants and were able to control a computer or something. BrainGate did this 20 years ago.



Again, it was not Musk who designed this, and him being a fraud has nothing to do with other, actually smart and capable people achieving something.


Which is factually not true, and not even a material comparison. BYD already sells more EVs than Tesla. And it's a Chinese company. Even if Tesla would sell more EVs, that still wouldn't mean Musk is not a con man.


It's irrelevant what SpaceX did as to whether Musk is an overpromising fraud, especially that 1. at no point was Musk the brain behind SpaceX either, and 2. that Musk also promised in 2016 SpaceX bringing colonies of people to Mars in 2024. We already know that this won't happen, and that it won't happen for a very, very long time int he future either.


Musk is a fraud, who is virtually a technical illiterate in every regard, and who intentionally deceives everyone for personal and financial gains. Period.

Musk is CTO of SpaceX, you underestimate how much of a role he has played in regards to design decisions and expediting timelines. He is very much not technically illiterate. He underestimates how long something takes to develop correctly.

Musk is only a political fool, aligning himself with trump is proof of that. But he is great at the whole toss a bunch of darts at the wall and see what sticks thing, as well as pushing towards the idea of "future". SpaceX is a big example of breaking out of stagnant mindset. Tesla's consumer market is a bit too targeted in my book, but the product and eco system is actually great. List can go on.

Oh and lets not forget he did the lords work of buying twitter and running it into the ground. Platform sucked before he bought it. Now at least the user base matches the owner.

 

[Ecurb]

OMG, it wasn’t perfect! Musk must be perfect or he is a fraud. Burn it all down!

My daughter didn’t want me to splurge on a Tesla because I would be driving her mother in that car and Teslas are too unreliable to have mom in them.

<sigh>

 

[Endymio]

Once again, Musk deceiving people.
Shocker.....lol

Why spread disinformation? The robots at the event literally stated they were being assisted by humans, and the human operators themselves were literally mingling with attendees, explaining their role.

 

[FF222]

Musk is CTO of SpaceX

Yeah. And Musk is also a "founder" of the Tesla, despite only joining the company a year after it has been actually founded. And don't even get me started about how even actual and real CTOs are primarily managers, not technical experts.

In reality the actual expert and brain behind SpaceX was and are Robert Zubrin, Tom Mueller and other experts whose name you don't know either, who - unlike Musk - had actually several decades of expertise in rocket engineering and related fields.

you underestimate how much of a role he has played in regards to design decisions and expediting timelines.

I know exactly how much role he played both in regards of designs decisions and expediting timelines. That's the very reason why I call him a fraud.

He is very much not technically illiterate. He underestimates how long something takes to develop correctly.

No. He's totally clueless even about basic technical merits and issues. We know this exactly from his tweets and interviews where, whenever he tries, he keeps talking continuously dumb s**t about virtually everything. Of course if you're just as clueless as he is, or even more so, you can't tell that, because, well, you don't know better either.

But he is great at the whole toss a bunch of darts at the wall and see what sticks thing

This is not a measure of greatness, but the measure of lameness. Anybody can throw a bunch of things at the wall and see what sticks. It's the very definition of not having a clue about what can work and how, and virtually playing a business/engineering lottery.

as well as pushing towards the idea of "future".

Yeah, no. Again, that's all the engineers doing the actual work (and also the government giving them money to do so), not Musk himself.

SpaceX is a big example of breaking out of stagnant mindset.

Again, you're confusing Musk with SpaceX. You don't even know anymore what you wanted to argue for.

Tesla's consumer market is a bit too targeted in my book, but the product and eco system is actually great.

And yet, and despite having a 20+ years history, they have been overtaken by a Chinese company in a few years even in production numbers. And don't even get me started about how their build quality or how delivering on promises has been never nowhere any actual car manufacturers'.

List can go on.

Indeed. All proof of how none is the achievement of Musk, how clueless he is, and how many things he has screwed up, while misleading and harming investors and public in the process.

Oh and lets not forget he did the lords work of buying twitter and running it into the ground.

Which, again, was obviously not his aim, and not the reason why he bought it, but is the prime example of how technically illiterate he is and how bad business decisions he makes. The only thing he's good at is conmanning.

 

[ANSWER]

The technology required already exists, it is just not refined / mature enough for production.

At Peakey, we have a proof of concept / demo robot that can understand your voice requests and complete them like a human would.