Tesla Inc. used humans to remotely control some capabilities of its Optimus robot prototypes at a recent event designed to generate investor enthusiasm for forthcoming products, according to people familiar with the matter.
Employees stationed elsewhere oversaw many of the interactions between the humanoid machines and attendees of last week’s “We, Robot” showcase in Burbank, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing company operations. The Optimus prototypes were able to walk without external control using artificial intelligence, the people said.
Tesla representatives didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Some attendees said on social media afterward that the robots had help and at least one video posted online purportedly from the Oct. 10 Cybercab robotaxi event shows an Optimus bartender acknowledging that it was being “assisted by a human.” That wasn’t stated by Chief Executive Elon Musk during his remarks on a webcast.
The use of human input raises questions over the capabilities and market readiness of the bot, which Musk said last week he expects to be “the biggest product ever of any kind.” The CEO told the crowd it will handle many household tasks and could eventually be available to consumers for $20,000 to $30,000 each.
“What can it do?” Musk said. “It can be a teacher, babysit your kids, it can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do.”
While Tesla had previously shown Optimus prototypes, last week was the first time nonemployees had a chance to interact directly with the black-and-white machines. They poured drinks for attendees, gave high fives and even played rock, paper, scissors.
The robot’s capabilities have long been closely watched by investors, even if the product’s launch timing remains uncertain. Observers noted that in 2022, an early prototype had to be carried by people on stage. Tesla has also posted updates showing versions that could sort blocks and dance.
Originally, Optimus wasn’t due to feature in last week’s event at all. Musk had requested the inclusion of the bots about three weeks earlier, according to a person familiar with the matter. The late notice meant there wasn’t time to get the software up to speed, making remote operation necessary, the person said.
Optimus was one of several products highlighted at the event, along with the introduction of the Cybercab and a van concept. Guests at the invite-only launch — including investors, Wall Street analysts and Tesla fans — took short rides in autonomously driven vehicles that were not human-controlled.
The flashy event, held on the Warner Bros. Studios lot, was broadly seen as underwhelming due to its lack of technical details and vagueness on the plans for the robotaxi business. The following day, Tesla’s shares suffered the worst decline in more than two months.
Musk had been due to discuss a wider range of autonomous-driving-related items on stage, one of the people familiar with the planning said. The presentation was going to include more details about developing autonomous technology for Tesla’s Semi truck, details of the app behind a future ride-hailing service and pricing for software suites. But Musk either skipped over the material or removed it from the event, the person said.
Many of the attendees cited their interactions with Optimus as a standout feature of the Tesla showcase.
“Optimus stole the show in my view,” Nancy Tengler, chief executive of Laffer Tengler Investments, said in a note to clients after attending the event. “Optimus paraded in and danced and looked remarkably human.”
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called the soirée a “glimpse of the future,” saying in a write-up that the human-mimicking robot is “potentially much closer to a reality” than thought heading into the evening.
Gene Munster, managing partner of growth-investment firm Deepwater Asset Management, acknowledged the idea that Optimus was remotely controlled and said he’d been “fooled” at the event. Still, he said in a post on Musk’s X platform, it gave a “window into the potential around these products.”
Ludlow and Welch write for Bloomberg.