Elon Musk's publicly traded electric vehicle company Tesla, Inc. hosted its highly anticipated “We robots” event on October 10, 2024 at Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in Burbank, California, and streamed it continue to exist its social network X and YouTube.
Despite showing sleek prototypes of a brand new autonomous “Cybercab” automotive with no steering wheel or gas and brake pedals, and a similarly sparse, retro-futuristic Art Deco-style “Robovan” with room for 20 passengers, the event was criticized by some outstanding observers for more Style as substance. Precise information on schedules, costs and legal facets was missing and sometimes even seemed misleading.
The most glaring example of doubtless misleading information was Tesla's move to have its still-developing humanoid Optimus robots fill the venue and interact with attendees and even serve drinks at a bar. While some in attendance assumed that the robots were completely autonomous, reports confirmed that they were teleoperated – controlled by a human in one other room.
“Not fully AI? Not AI in any respect,” the enterprise capitalist wrote Josh Wolfe, co-founder of Lux Capital on Musk's social network X. “It's entirely worthy to rejoice low latency handheld remote control, but completely dishonest to point out these off as autonomous robots – call it the parlor trick it’s.”
This skepticism raises the query of how far Tesla has really progressed in developing artificial intelligence for robotics. While Musk touted Optimus, Cybercab and Robotaxi as highly impactful inventions for society, EV reviewers The Kilowatts on X noted that much of the technology will remain “incredible” to investors and consumers until it’s delivered.
Tesla's vision of fully autonomous personal robots in addition to latest varieties of autonomous electric vehicles stays more speculative than realistic for now. Here is a summary of what was discussed:
Cybercab: Everything autonomous and cheaper than a bus or Model 3?
Perhaps probably the most anticipated announcement was Tesla's Cybercab, a two-seat electric vehicle designed for autonomous operation.
Musk described the Cybercab as a sleeker, more compact version of the Cybertruck that can reportedly cost lower than $30,000. That's below the present price of Tesla's most cost-effective personal vehicle, the Model 3, which launched in 2019 for $35,000 but has since seen its price rise to around $42,000.
Musk said Tesla is aiming for the Cybercab's operating costs to be between $0.20 and $0.30 per mile, in comparison with the operating costs of a bus, which he put at about $1 per mile.
The vehicles could be powered by inductive (wireless) charging, eliminating the necessity for plug-in charging stations and making autonomous cars more integrated into the urban landscape.
The promise of a personalised “mass transportation” future has long been a part of Musk’s vision, and the Cybercab is a key component of that goal.
During the event, Musk proudly showed off 20 cybercabs driving autonomously across the venue. He emphasized that the Cybercab is an element of a broader effort to make cities safer, cleaner and more efficient.
Tesla's AI Vision system, trained on tens of millions of cars, allows these vehicles to operate without the fatigue and distraction that human drivers bring. Musk claimed that Tesla's autonomous technology could ultimately make driving 10 to 30 times safer than human motion.
He also floated the concept that autonomous automotive owners could manage vehicle fleets and supply ride-sharing services much like Uber or Lyft. If successful, this business model could transform the gig economy and create latest opportunities for people to generate income.
But while the Cybercab's debut was greeted with enthusiasm, industry insiders expressed concerns in regards to the lack of concrete details surrounding its launch.
Musk indicated that production of the Cybercab would “probably” begin in 2026 or “before 2027,” but admitted he was “inclined to be somewhat optimistic in regards to the time frames.”
In fact, Tesla has struggled up to now to fulfill deadlines for its more ambitious projects akin to its Full Self-Driving (FSD) and even delivery of the Cybertruck, which Musk once claimed was waterproof enough to operate as a ship for brief trips (it). just isn’t and can’t).
As a technology reporter for The Washington Post Fairz Siddiqui noted certain risks and uncertainties and aren’t guarantees. Future results may differ materially from those reflected in any forward-looking statements.”
While the vision of reasonably priced autonomous transportation is compelling, much stays uncertain about when — or if — Tesla will find a way to deliver on those guarantees.
Robovan: Tesla's answer to buses, trains and mass transit
Another major reveal of the event was Tesla's Robovan, a big autonomous vehicle designed to move as much as 20 passengers or goods.
Musk positioned the Robovan as a possible solution for high-density urban transportation, hinting at a future wherein autonomous shuttles would replace traditional buses.
The Robovan represents a vision of more efficient, less congested cities, where autonomous vehicles drive incessantly enough to eliminate the necessity for giant, underutilized parking lots.
Musk suggested that cities could convert parking lots into parks over time to enhance the standard of life in urban areas.
Some technology observers akin to Brian Roemmele on X were overjoyed by the news, particularly the Robovan's elegant, striking Art Deco design, and even predicted that by 2031, “lots of of 1000’s,” or lots of of 1000’s, of individuals could be living in Robovans converted into mobile homes.
Despite these ambitious goals and praise, critics were quick to indicate that Tesla didn’t offer a selected timeline for production of the Robovan.
X User Facts Chaser noted that while Tesla unveiled a prototype, China already has operational autonomous vans in real urban environments.
Is Tesla Full Self-Driving Coming to Texas and California Next Year?
A recurring theme on the We Robot event was Musk's long-standing belief that autonomous vehicles will revolutionize urban life by reducing traffic, improving safety and reclaiming public spaces.
Tesla's plans to introduce completely unattended Full Self-Driving (FSD) in Texas and California by 2025 have been highlighted as a key moment on this transformation.
The rollout begins with the Model 3 and Model Y, followed by the Cybertruck and eventually the Cybercab.
Musk painted an image of a future wherein autonomous vehicles shall be used as much as ten times greater than today's cars, dramatically increasing their value.
But despite Musk's optimism, some hurdles remain. Tesla has faced significant regulatory challenges in deploying its FSD technology, and autonomous driving technology basically has not yet reached Level 4 autonomy, which is required to operate vehicles without human supervision.
Optimus: Your future household helper?
Tesla's humanoid robot Optimus was also the main target of the event. Musk pitched the robot as a private assistant that may perform on a regular basis tasks like babysitting, walking dogs, mowing lawns and even serving drinks at parties.
The robot was shown interacting and talking to attendees, even acting as a bartender and playing exciting “rock, paper, scissors” games, impressing many with its potential versatility.
According to Musk, Optimus could sell for $20,000 to $30,000 on a big scale, making it a possible addition to tens of millions of homes.
However, he again didn’t provide a selected release schedule or publicly answer questions on how the robot would take care of hostile situations, akin to a dog or child running away, breaking something, or causing other problems and mischief, not to say How he would make sure that the robot would find a way to handle the on a regular basis situations mentioned safely and without harming others.
Meanwhile, other robotics providers akin to the startup Figure, 1X (each supported by OpenAI) and many newcomers from China are pursuing their very own humanoid robot helpers for the house and holding an intense competition. However, Tesla has proven resilient to challengers in the electrical vehicle market and continues to expand its market share, potentially making the outlook for Optimus more optimistic.
Security, legal and regulatory challenges remain
One of the most important challenges for Tesla within the widespread introduction of autonomous vehicles and robots is regulatory approval.
Although Musk's vision of autonomous transportation is daring, it poses legal and safety concerns.
Vehicles just like the Cybercab, which lack steering wheels and pedals, must meet strict safety standards before they may be sold or used on public roads.
Tesla's existing FSD technology has already come under scrutiny from regulators following several high-profile accidents involving semi-autonomous Tesla vehicles.
For Tesla to achieve Autonomy Level 4, where a vehicle can operate under certain conditions without human intervention, the corporate must show that its systems can reliably handle a wide range of driving scenarios without endangering passengers or pedestrians.
Spammers benefit from attention
The We Robot event attracted significant online attention, although the livestream was marred by a barrage of bots and spammers promoting an independent cryptocurrency token, XAI33x.
Despite the disruption, Tesla fans were generally excited in regards to the future Musk presented, although many had lingering doubts in regards to the timeline and feasibility of some announcements.
