Get Ready To Meet Tesla’s Humanoid Bot Powered By Vehicle AI

Tesla’s AI Day event included a surprise announcement about an upcoming humanoid bot powered by the car’s autonomous fleet technology, CNET and other news outlets reported on Friday (Aug. 20).

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Although there wasn’t a prototype available, Tesla CEO Elon Musk provided a theatrical dancer dressed like the in-the-works bot, CNET reported. Little information was revealed about the humanoid — expected to be launched sometime in 2022 — except that it will be 5 ft. 8 in. tall and weighs 125 pounds.

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“It’s intended to be friendly and navigate through a world built for humans,” Musk said at the event. Tesla’s AI Day is intended to help the electric car maker recruit top artificial intelligence (AI) talent. 

Musk also said a human can outrun the Tesla Bot and “overpower” it, according to CNET. 

During a question and answer period following the humanoid presentation, Musk said that people “should be worried about AI … What we’re trying to do here at Tesla is make useful AI that people love and is … unequivocally good.”

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Part of the presentation indicated that the Tesla Bot would do away with “dangerous, repetitive, boring tasks.” He pointed to an example where the robot could be instructed to go to the supermarket to purchase particular items, according to the report.

Musk also pointed to how he thinks the bot could change how people work in the future. “This, I think, will be quite profound,” he said. “Essentially, in the future, physical work will be a choice. If you want to do it, you can, but you won’t need to do it.”

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One analyst called Tesla’s humanoid project a “head-scratcher that will further agitate investors,” New York Post reported.

As far as price or an exact launch date, Musk couldn’t say. But he did emphasize that the Tesla bot will reduce labor costs and have a “profound impact on the economy.”