According to people familiar with the matter, Tesla used humans to remotely control some functions of its Optimus Prime robot prototype at a recent Robotaxi launch event to stimulate investor enthusiasm for the upcoming product. At last week’s “We, Robot” launch event near Los Angeles, employees elsewhere oversaw many of the interactions between the humanoid robot and attendees, said people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. People familiar with the matter said the Optimus Prime prototype could indeed walk with artificial intelligence without external control.
Some attendees later took to social media to say the robot had received help, and at least one online video purportedly from the event showed an Optimus Prime bartender admitting it had "help from humans." Tesla CEO Elon Musk did not mention this during a live webcast.
The use of human input has raised questions about the robot's capabilities and market readiness, with Musk saying last week that he expected the robot to be "the biggest product ever." He told everyone that the robot can handle many household chores and may eventually be sold to consumers for $20,000 to $30,000 each.
While Tesla has shown prototypes of its Optimus Prime robot before, last week was the first time non-employees had the chance to interact directly with the robot. They poured attendees drinks, gave high fives and even played rock, paper, scissors.
The robot's performance has long been closely watched by investors, although the timing of the product's release remains uncertain. Observers point out that early prototypes will have to be carried onto the stage by 2022. Tesla also released an update showing off versions of the robot that can sort blocks and dance.
Tesla had no plans to have Optimus Prime robots unveiled at the Robotaxi launch event, but Musk asked to include them about three weeks ago, people familiar with the matter said. The belated notification meant there was no time for the software to be upgraded, so operations had to be done remotely, the person said.