By akademiotoelektronik, 26/12/2022

Tesla: robots soon more lucrative than cars?

According to Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, the humanoid robot "Optimus" unveiled this summer could one day exceed sales of electric vehicles. The world's richest man says his robot will have "profound economic impacts".

Tesla boss assures that robots will soon be more profitable than cars

This year, Elon Musk seems to be totally obsessed with the development of his robots. At a recent Tesla earnings call, he told investors that his nascent robot projects had, eventually, "the potential to be bigger than the automotive business." This is Tesla's big project for 2022. The robot in question, which is part of Project Optimus, was previewed last year. This robot would use the same artificial intelligence systems that equip Tesla vehicles according to Musk.

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If for the moment no prototype has been presented, we know that this robot will measure 1.80 m, will be able to lift 125 kg, will be able to walk at km/h and will have a screen in place of the face. Elon Musk said this robot could be very useful in Tesla factories. Especially with the current labor shortage in the United States.

Globally, Musk is confident that in the future, his robot can solve labor shortages on a global scale. Robots are increasingly used in factories around the world. In 2022, the average is 126 robots per 10,000 employees according to the International Federation of Robotics.

Musk wants to play a role in artificial general intelligence (AGI)

The Tesla founder also believes that his future robots will play a role in the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI is the representation of generalized human cognitive abilities in software so that, faced with an unfamiliar task, the artificial intelligence system can find a solution. An AGI system could theoretically perform any task that a human is capable of.

Yet, according to University of the West robot ethics professor Alan Winfield, “AGI is an exceptionally difficult problem to solve. Google and Facebook have been working on this for years, they've hired some of the best AI people in the world and the idea that Musk can come along and fix the problem snapping his fingers is extreme hubris." Elon Musk, however, likes challenges. From autonomous cars to space travel... It is clear that successes are not lacking. SpaceX's reusable rockets are seen as a big step forward for spaceflight, for example.

However, many experts remain skeptical about Elon Musk's plans. Filip Piekniewski, an engineer at Accel Robotics, believes that “if anyone believes Tesla is building a humanoid robot, they are living in an alternate reality. A Mars base is more likely than a robot of this caliber.” Tony Prescott, professor at the University of Sheffield, specifies that “if it is intended to work in a factory, then this robot should have wheels. It would be much easier to develop and wouldn't have balance issues. Indeed, keeping the robot upright would be one of the biggest problems. The professor nevertheless affirms that “Musk is right on one point, the development of artificial intelligence goes through humanoid robots”.