13 August 2021, Brandenburg, Grünheide: Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, stands at a press event on the grounds ... [+]
We might be in denial on this one.
Recently, Twitter users pounced on the fact that the Tesla robot demo from last week was a bit underwhelming, and they are mostly correct. The first bot (known as Bumble C) waved and stepped gingerly on the stage and that’s about it. Nothing even remotely like making pancakes or changing the oil in your car quite yet, it seems.
One user called it the most embarrassing presentation ever.
I tend to agree. Even Elon Musk announced the robot with a hint of sarcasm. He said the last demo involved a guy in a robot suit, and this demo will be a little better.
A behind the scenes video showed the bot reaching for a pitcher of water. Musk says the bot can recognize objects, which is in direct contrast to Boston Dynamics bots that are usually pre-programmed. Twitter responses were incredulous, though.
“I would hardly call that tech,” said one commenter: Another said it all looks “dated.”
Okay, point taken. The presentation was filled with jargon and banter, almost to the point of hiding any real innovation or ingenuity. “What you are seeing is semi-off-the-shelf actuators,” explained Musk with a scoff. “It wasn’t quite ready to walk but it will walk in a few weeks. We wanted to show a bot that is fairly close to what will go into production.”
At this point, Tesla staff wheeled out another bot that looked all shiny and new, but didn’t do much more than wave. “Here you are seeing Optimus with a degree of freedom,” says Musk. Here’s the full presentation:
Now, since the demo last week, a few Twitter users who have echoed what Musk stated midway through the demo. Many of the current gen robots make products without an AI brain and cost as much as your house. The Optimus, he says, will understand its surroundings and cost about as much as a Nissan.
Sadly, it seems AI is forever in a state where the potential is obvious and the reality of actual automated assistance for normal people is elusive. These robots might wash dishes for us someday, but it’s hard to tell when that will be.
Musk hints at “soon” but the demo doesn’t reinforce that idea. The truth is — maybe we just don’t want it to happen. Maybe the hype machine about autonomous cars and robot helpers is better understood as a concept or an idea.
Once there’s an actual robot like Optimus in our homes, sweeping the floor and letting the cat out, we might not be ready for what could happen next: Insurance nightmares; actual and legitimate questions about eugenics when these bots can replace humans; an over-reliance on AI tech without any real standards or safety protocols.
And, dare to even say it — how will the U.S. government be involved?
At least with the auto industry, there’s some regulation over things like seat belts and air bags. Musk himself has wondered about AI governance at times.
When a company like Tesla wheels out a robot and says it could be in our homes soon, my first thought isn’t about the AI brain or the competition, and isn’t even about the cost or the feature set. It’s more about whether any of us are ready for these robots to actually exists.
