It sure seems like the Optimus robots at Tesla’s event were under human control

We didn’t learn much new from Tesla’s Robotaxi event final evening, however one piece of knowledge we had been wanting ahead to was a bit of data on Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robotic. And we received some, however it’s perhaps rather less flattering to Tesla than some may need appreciated.

After unveiling the Robotaxi/Cybercab and Robovan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk went on to offer us a bit of bit of knowledge on the Optimus humanoid robotic that the corporate has been engaged on.

Musk talked about “we began up with somebody in a robotic go well with, after which we’ve progressed dramatically 12 months after 12 months” as a number of robots walked out in entrance of the group.

He referred to those as “your individual private R2D2 C3-PO,” and that in the long run, these robots would price lower than a automotive – particularly, ~$20k-$30k. A video additionally described them as an “autonomous assistant, humanoid good friend” which might be used for principally any job you may consider.

Musk mentioned that Optimus can be “the largest product of any variety, ever” and figured everybody on Earth would need one or two of them, which is language he has used before (nevermind that a lot of the 8 billion individuals on Earth should not have the wealth to afford one new automotive, a lot much less two). He additionally mentioned that it might lead to an “age of abundance” the place the price of every little thing would drop dramatically.

However past all that, Tesla took this occasion as a chance to debut Optimus in entrance of – and amongst – a reside viewers. Musk mentioned:

One of many issues we wished to point out tonight was that Optimus just isn’t a canned video, it’s not walled-off. The Optimus robots will stroll amongst you. Please be good to the Optimus robots. So that you’ll be capable to stroll proper as much as them… and so they’ll serve drinks on the bar, and also you’ll instantly… I imply it’s a wild expertise simply to have humanoid robots and so they’re there, simply in entrance of you.

He then ended his speech by throwing to a group of humanoid robots dancing in a gazebo (not in contrast to a video made by Honda ten years ago…), and attendees had been certainly in a position to work together with these robots in individual.

Tesla’s occasion stream continued by exhibiting movies of the celebration, together with some movies of company interacting with robots. The robots waved, handed out goodie luggage, served drinks, posed for pictures, walked by the group, and even played rock paper scissors (although, once more, not in addition to this robot with a 100% winrate from 12 years ago).

The robots did all have a Tesla worker “minder” watching them intently, however visibly holding some form of signaling machine of their hand. Within the video, you may see one of the employees operating this device.

The official Tesla video (which had no audio, as music was taking part in over it) additionally confirmed a number of robots serving drinks, although these weren’t customized combined drinks, merely two decisions of pre-mixed drinks served from beer faucets. The robots appeared to take action efficiently sufficient, although they had been considerably wobbly whereas serving the drinks (see here), which appeared odd – as if the robots weren’t all that nice at balancing themselves, or their motions weren’t correctly damped or one thing.

However then, attendees began posting movies from the occasion, and one thing appeared… off.

There’s one widely-shared video of an employee seeming to trigger Musk’s Robotaxi departure from a phone – however that’s comprehensible sufficient, on condition that Waymo’s currently-operating Level 4 taxis interface with the rider’s cellphone to unlock the automotive and begin a trip as nicely, and it is sensible from a stage administration perspective of maintaining the occasion working on cue (albeit 40+ minutes late).

However the stranger movies had been of direct interactions with the Optimus robots that “walked amongst us” within the crowd.

It seems the robots every had a voice and might be talked to. So, you can make a drink order, and even simply have a dialog with the robots that had been strolling the group.

What Tesla is doing with Optimus is insane. It’s actually the robotic from iRobot starring Will Smith. #WeRobot pic.twitter.com/zM9pkkyOCu

— Austin (@AustinPlanet) October 11, 2024

In dialog, the robots had been impressively real looking of their conversational tone, responding shortly and with pure speech. We’ve seen some fascinating developments on this respect from ChatGPT 4o, with pure intonation, however you may nonetheless inform that there’s one thing robotic occurring there.

However maybe they had been too spectacular, as a result of these conversations actually appear to have a human on the opposite aspect of them.

He didn’t even ask for a tip!@Tesla_Optimus #teslabot #werobot pic.twitter.com/4r0ONZSk11

— Kim Java (@ItsKimJava) October 11, 2024

Every of the robots we’ve seen had a unique voice, and a unique accent – although largely California or Texas accents, the 2 areas the place Tesla has important presence. One even reportedly spoke Spanish, impressing one attendee, although conversational Spanish can be not significantly unusual within the areas the place Tesla operates, so the worker backstage might nicely simply be bilingual.

This video, particularly, of a robotic speaking concerning the geography of the Bay Space, is a enjoyable one. Not solely does the robotic make a really human error when it asks whether or not the attendee lives within the “Santa Clarita” space close to San Jose (it’s Santa Clara – Santa Clarita is in Southern California, not the Bay Space), it additionally hears a non-standard pronunciation “Los Gatos” after which responds with a extra frequent one.

Think about having a dialog with a @Tesla_Optimus

I had a full dialog with the Tesla bot. The long run is right here. Can’t wait to see these across the streets, inside houses and in factories. pic.twitter.com/KIi3c5x4Gq

— Tesla House owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 11, 2024

One tech evangelist in attendance, Robert Scoble, says that he talked to an engineer on the occasion who advised him that Optimus was working on AI whereas strolling by the group, however that in any other case there was human distant help.

I talked with an engineer.

When it walked that’s AI working Optimus.

It’s actual spectacular they introduced so many out in crowds at @tesla’s occasion. https://t.co/CtmCKPrL4T

— Robert Scoble (@Scobleizer) October 11, 2024

Certainly, most observers appear to assume that these was some degree of distant operation occurring through the occasion. Even Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley’s analyst who covers Tesla and is often very bullish on every little thing that Tesla declares, mentioned in a word this morning that: “It’s our understanding that these robots weren’t working solely autonomously – however relied on tele-ops (human intervention) so it was extra an indication of levels of freedom and agility.”

The upshot of all of that is that Tesla, as is commonly the case, appears to be taking part in quick and free with the reality.

Whereas it could have fairly spectacular dexterity, and remote-operated robots might have some actual makes use of (for instance, placing remote-operated robots into harmful conditions the place human-like limbs and manipulation would nonetheless be helpful), Tesla as an alternative determined to obscure the actual details about the know-how they had been showcasing, suggesting that AI-driven robots would stroll among the many crowd when actually they had been counting on some quantity of distant operation.

And that simply leaves a bitter style in everybody’s mouth – or at the least, within the mouths of these whose data comes from someplace apart from the closely curated twitter algorithm.

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