Tesla’s Optimus Robot: Revolutionary AI or Overhyped Dream?

Remember Rosie, the ultra-cool, yet slightly creepy, robotic maid from The Jetsons? Back then, it was a genuine fantasy! A domestic robot that would cook and vacuum while we lounged on the couch! The dream!

Well, that future is rapidly approaching us because, according to specialists, in less than 5 years, 25% of affluent American households could have a domestic robot in their homes.

But the real question is: Are you ready to be roommates with a metallic slave?

Tesla, which needs no introduction, has just released a new video that’s causing a buzz, as it shows its humanoid robot Optimus performing several domestic tasks such as vacuuming, cleaning a table, and handling kitchen utensils… all without direct human intervention.

The first thing to know, and it’s important, is that all these movements are sped up in the video. The mention “1.5x / 2x” clearly visible in the top right indicates that in real life, our metallic friend moves more like an arthritic turtle. But hey, you have to start somewhere.

This robot, which is no longer a human in pajamas, is about 5’9″ (1.77m) tall and weighs 125 pounds (57 kg), which is a less impressive size than a Terminator, but more practical for slipping between your IKEA furniture. Tesla also announces several hours of battery life, enough to clean your apartment without running out of power in the middle of the living room like the old Roborock.

For now, Optimus has the dexterity of a 2-year-old, but without the tantrums when asked to tidy up its room. That’s something. Now if this robot is getting so much attention, it’s because it represents a break with traditional robotics programming because instead of explicitly encoding each movement (raise the arm 30 degrees, move forward 10 cm…), Tesla has opted for an approach based on learning.

To achieve this, the robot is equipped with visual sensors that allow it to analyze its environment and adapt its movements accordingly, which allows it not to blindly follow a script, but to “understand” what it sees and act accordingly. This approach differs radically from that of Boston Dynamics, whose impressive robots follow more direct programming. Other players like Figure AI also use methods similar to Tesla and claim comparable advances, with robots capable of collaborating with each other.

On the price side, Tesla is apparently aiming for a price around $20,000 for eventual mass production. That’s a lot cheaper than one of their cars, but it’s still a significant investment to vacuum without lifting a finger. Despite all these reservations, the potential implications are enormous: transformation of domestic work, assistance to the elderly or disabled, and more broadly, a new industrial revolution.

I can’t wait to get back from vacation and find my house clean, the fridge full, and dinner ready. No more arguments about who takes out the trash or who does the dishes, and for people with reduced mobility, it’s a regained autonomy and a quality of life that can be transformed. But several major challenges remain to be overcome… For example, increasing the speed of execution, improving dexterity, reducing production costs, and sufficient energy autonomy. Nothing insurmountable, but it will still take some time.

Tesla officially aims for production in 2026-2027, but more sober analysts estimate 2028-2030 for a truly functional mass market launch. It’s well known that Elon Musk is more reliable when it comes to doing Nazi salutes than respecting his own deadlines.

The potential economic impact is colossal, as analysis firms estimate the domestic robot market to be worth several hundred billion dollars by 2035, but this also raises ethical and social questions, including the implications for employment, privacy (your robot will see everything you do at home), technological dependence, security, ecology… And I’m not even talking about the soldier robots in Star Wars combat droid mode who will try to kill anything woke.

And what if your robot was hacked? Don’t forget that it could kill you in your sleep with a big knife… But Tesla claims to have put in place robust security systems… Anyway, history has shown us that nothing is inviolable, especially at Tesla.

And in the longer term, we can imagine integration with other AIs like ChatGPT, and the possibility of adding skills by downloading. So your robot could “learn” to make sushi in a few seconds like Neo when he learns Kung Fu. In short, domestic robots may be to the 2030s what smartphones were to the 2010s, that is, first a luxury for wealthy geeks, then a necessity that we will wonder how we ever lived without.

And the next time you vacuum, cursing this chore, tell yourself that you may be living in the last days of an era where humans still had to do these kinds of tasks themselves.