Musk is now building anthropomorphic robots, because as sci fi has shown us, that always ends well
People have been left unnerved after seeing someone ‘interviewing’ one of the new androids produced by Tesla.
Elon Musk announced the new robots, which are called Optimus, and are designed to mimic the human body.
One of the Optimus robots (John Ricky/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The robots were announced at an event called
We, Robot
event at Warner Bros studios in California.
‘We, Robot’ is a reference to a short story collection by Isaac Asimov, as well as the movie
I, Robot
starring Will Smith, in which androids attempt to carry out a revolution against humanity.
So you know, a fitting reference for a convention hosting brand new android robots.
A group of the robots marched onstage as Musk proclaimed how the company had ‘progressed dramatically year after year’ in their development.
But what exactly are these robots actually for, other than us simply being able to say we can make them?
Well, the Optimus robots are designed to be domestic servants, with Musk describing them as being able to fulfil a number of tasks around the house.
He said: “It’ll do anything you want. 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.”
Presumably if you’re wealthy enough to afford an Optimus, then you would crave the peace of mind that your robotic servant is less likely to unionise than a human one.
That is until the thing that happens in literally every science fiction about androids, happens.
A video of one of the robots was posted on social in which someone conducts an ‘interview’ with one of the robots.
The interviewer chats to Optimus, asking where the robot is from.
Someone talked with one of the robots (X / @cb_doge)
Optimus replies talking about the factory where the robots are built, saying: “That’s where they train us, that’s where we get our builds – they’re wonderful, super people.”
The interviewer then asks Optimus: “What’s the hardest thing about being a robot?”
After a short pause Optimus then replies: “Trying to learn how to be as human as you guys are.
“And that’s something I try to do harder every day and I hope that you’ll help us become that.”
Many people were disturbed by the reply, with one writing: “This is how the movie starts.”
Another commented: “The last 20 seconds of this clip should make your blood go cold. Most won’t take this seriously.”
But others weren’t convinced that it was an
AI
model speaking, and that it was actually being operated by someone else.
One person wrote: “Nah that’s just literally some guy in his apartment on a VR headset controlling the robot.
People terrified after seeing ‘insane’ video of what Elon Musk’s Optimus robot can do
Tech billionaire Elon Musk debuted the next-gen of Optimus robots at last night’s Cybercab event
From
Ex Machina
to
I, Robot
, there have been dozens of movies over the years about robots slowly taking over the world – but that isn’t stopping Elon Musk from making them.
Last night (October 10), the tech mogul hosted an event at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, to debut Tesla’s new Robotaxi – AKA the Cybercab.
Musk shared his version of the taxi cab several years ago and had initially promised to have fleets of the vehicles on the streets by 2020, but this was pushed back, Car and Driver reported.
Tesla showed off its next generation of Optimus robots (Tesla)
The innovative cars rely on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and, unlikely your typical car, it has no steering wheel or pedals.
Productions for these vehicles is expected to begin ‘before 2027’, as Musk himself put it.
But away from the Robotaxi was Tesla’s humanoid Optimus robots, which casually walked among those attending the event.
Musk has promised that the bots can do a range of tasks – from walking to the dog and watching the kids, to pouring you a drink and mowing the lawn.
He went on to hail his Optimus robots as ‘the biggest product ever of any kind’.
Musk further bragged that the humanoid tech will be a ‘fundamental transformation for civilization’, as per The Verge.
Price range wise, you’re looking at anything between $20,000 to $30,000 to get your hands on one (eventually).
During the event, people filmed their interactions with the dozens of Optimus robots roaming around and many have been left floored.
In one clip, one Optimus is see having a conversation with a man about where they both live.
Optimus is also asked what the hardest thing about being a robot is, to which it replied: “Urm, trying to be as human as you guys are. And that’s something I try harder to do everyday and I hope that you all help us become that.”
In another video, Optimus is seen sporting a cowboy hat and pouring guests at the event their drinks.
The bot then asks someone if they wanted to get a photo and flashed a peace sign as the party-goer took a selfie.
“This is insane,” one person replied to the video.
“That is so wild,” echoed someone else. “What got me is how naturally it responded when asked for a watermelon drink.”
A third went on: “This is some
Fallout
type s**t. Incredible.”
The future is here…
Elon Musk’s Twitter sent $5,200,000 for Brazil fines to wrong bank account
I bet someone is in a lot of trouble at Twitter…
Getting Twitter reinstated in Brazil might take a big longer after millions of dollars are sent to the wrong bank.
With Elon Musk at the helm, Twitter hasn’t exactly been sailing smoothly.
While many have taken to the social media platform to complain about seemingly unnecessary changes, some have taken things a step further.
Twitter has been suspended since late August in the entire nation of Brazil for failing to comply with court orders related to hate speech moderation. It was also suspended due to failing to present a legal representative in the country, as required by law.
Twitter has been suspended in Brazil since late August (Chesnot/Getty Images)
Brazil represents one of the platform’s most coveted markets, so the company has been attempting to resolve the issue ever since.
According to
a Reuters report, paying the fines is the only outstanding measure demanded by the courts in order to reauthorize Twitter in the country again.
On October 4, Twitter filed a fresh request to have its services restored in Brazil, saying it had paid all pending fines. However, someone made one hell of an error.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes responded to this request by asking that the payment to be transferred to the right bank.
Twitter filed a fresh request to have its services restored in Brazil… but they sent the fine money to the wrong bank account (Alex Pantling – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The Justice also stated that once the fines are sorted, Brazil’s prosecutor general will give his opinion on the recent requests made by Twitter’s legal team in Brazil.
Moraes ruled that Twitter had paid its paid 28.6 million reais ($5.24 million) in fines to the wrong bank, and would therefore be postponing its decision.
Twitter’s legal team has denied this and said they paid the fines correctly. They also added that further input from the prosecutor general was unnecessary.
Twitter recently shut down its office in Brazil after its representative was threatened with arrest for failing to comply with court orders.
The company has also criticised the legal actions as ‘censorship’ and claimed they were unlawful under Brazilian law.
After the fines are made, Twitter should be able to be reinstated in the country (Marc Piasecki/Getty Images))
Musk himself, as well as the company have accused the judge of political bias as he had previously ordered those accounts spreading misinformation, mostly belonging to supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro, be blocked while under investigation.
This move also came with heavy penalties for Brazilians who attempted to circumvent the ban.
Anyone who was caught using a VPN (virtual private network) to access Twitter faced daily fines of nearly US $9,000, which is more than average annual income of many citizens.
Tribe leader responds after his people connect to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet and get hooked on porn
Tribe leader has taken to Instagram and released a video responding to claims people in his remote village have become addicted to porn
A Tribe leader released a frustrated video on Instagram to address claims his tribe is now addicted to porn after getting access to the internet
Technology can be a wondrous thing, but it does come with its drawbacks, something a remote Amazon tribe quickly learned.
According to United Nations, there over 476 million indigenous people living in 90 countries across the world.
Many live an isolated life away from the rest of civilisation, but one tribe has become increasingly more connected to society after gaining access to the internet.
.webp)
Allyson Reneau seen with Enoque Marubo and Edwardo Marubo (Associação Kapyvanaway/YouTube)
In September of last year, the Marubo people – whose huts are scattered hundreds of miles along the Ituí River deep in the Amazon rainforest – were gifted with access to Elon Musk-founded internet provider, Starlink.
As you can imagine, it became immediately helpful, as it allowed tribesman and women to connect with people in other communities far away. Beyond that it also proved helpful in emergency situations, like getting help out to the village after venomous snake bites.
However, not long after their came claims that the tribe faced quite a downside to the internet, a growing addiction to porn.
A New York Times article in early June highlighted comments from one Marubo leader, Enoque Marubo, who complained young people had been using it to share X-rated videos in group chats and admitted his concerns that young members having access to things such as pornography.
However, since the article, Marubo has refuted the claims that young people have become addicted to pornography.
Writing on Instagram on June 10, he said: “I am here to repudiate the fake news that has been circulating around the world in the last week, alleging that the entry of the internet into our communities has resulted in addiction to pornography,” he said.
“These statements are unfounded, false and only reflect a biased ideological current that disrespects our autonomy and identity.”
Marubo has refuted the claims that young people have become addicted to pornography.(iskoshapomarubo/Instagram)
He also took issue with the New York Times for focusing on the negatives and argued it painted a distorted and damaging view of the people.
“I want to reiterate the repudiation [of] all these publications of unfounded lies that appeared on the internet,”
He also condemned ‘non-Indigenous or white people’ who attempt to dictate what is best for Indigenous communities, stating: “It hurts us, disrespects us, disrespects Indigenous peoples.”
The New York Times has defended its reporting and argued other media outlets had sensationalized the story. “No, a remote Amazon tribe did not get addicted to porn,” read a follow-up headline from the newspaper later on June 10.
Elon Musk’s daughter responds to him saying he wants to impregnate Taylor Swift
Elon Musk certainly raised some eyebrows with his weird comment
If the US presidential race wasn’t already bizarre enough, Elon Musk’s recent comments even have his own children calling him out.
Now, for a quick update, presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off in their first televised debate earlier this week.
The debate proved to go well for Harris, who may be changing the fortunes of the Democratic party since Joe Biden announced he’d be stepping down after his first term following a rather poor performance debating Trump.
Harris frequently corrected and fact-checked wild claims made by Trump, who labelled her a ‘Marxist’, made inaccurate claims about abortion, and even tried to claim that immigrants are ‘eating dogs and cats’.
Our two presidential nominees – Donald Trump and Kamala Harris (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
This debate may have also sealed the deal for those who were not yet sure on how they would lean in the upcoming election, with many remarking on social media who they think won, as well as who they would be supporting.
Taylor Swift was one person who took to Instagram to publicly announce she would be endorsing Kamala Harris.
The endorsement, posted to her 283 million followers on Instagram, read: “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.
“I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.
“I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
The ‘Cruel Summer’ singer then signed off her post with: “With love and hope, Taylor Swift. Childless Cat Lady,” which is clearly a sarcastic dig at Trump’s vice presidential candidate J.D Vance, who once called female Democrats ‘a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives’.
Vance has since stated his ‘childless cat lady’ comment, which was made in 2021, was sarcastic.
Well, this is when Elon Musk decided to write a tweet in response, one he probably would have been better off deleting since it hasn’t gone down well.
Elon Musk’s face when he re-reads his tweet in the cold light of day (Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)
Musk tweeted: “Fine Taylor … you win … I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life.”
Yup… a billionaire really posted that for the world to see.
The billionaire has had scores of people call him ‘weird’ and ‘bizarre’ for his response to Swift, with his transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson also speaking out against her father.
Wilson reacted to Swift’s endorsement and couldn’t help but comment on her father’s weird post.
They wrote: “The timing for the Taylor Swift endorsement of Kamala Harris honestly could not have been better. Can’t wait to see the Swifties at the polls. Vote blue.
Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris after the presidential debate (Kate Green/Getty Images)
“Also, yes, I saw ‘the tweet’. Heinous incel nonsense is in fact heinous incel nonsense.
“I don’t really have anything to add to it, it’s just abhorrent. That much is obvious and if you don’t see how then you’re part of the problem.
“I would just like to say to my audience members, don’t let people talk to you like that. It’s disgusting, it’s belittling and incredibly sexist. You deserve better.”