Least News: I, Robot’ Director Calls Out Elon Musk for Aping His Work: ‘Can I Have My Designs Back?… See More

Social media commentators were quick to side-eye Elon Musk’s latest creations and their clear inspiration from the 2004 film “I, Robot” — and they aren’t alone, as the film’s director took to X (formerly Twitter) to call out Musk directly. “Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please?” Proyas tweeted alongside a side-by-side comparison of futuristic objects from his movie with Musk’s strikingly similar humanoid robots, Robovan and Cybercab.

Musk noted the similarities in the event’s name itself, unveiling his latest offerings at the “We, Robot” Tesla reveal held at Warner Bros. Studios. The Cybercab, a new self-driving two-passenger vehicle, lacks a steering wheel and pedals given the emphasis on autonomous driving. The Cybercab goes into production in 2027 and is expected to cost less than $30,000.

The Optimus robot, a humanoid companion meant to help people with home-related jobs such as walking pets and getting packages out of the mail, is set to be available for purchase at the end of 2024. The robots will be available for purchase from between $20,000 and $30,000.

Musk described the robots as “your own personal R2-D2 [or] C-3PO.”

“What can it do? It can basically do anything you want,” he told attendees. “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.”

Musk has big hopes for the robots, adding, “I think this will be the biggest product ever, of any kind. I think everyone is going to want their Optimus buddy, maybe two.”