Kim took to social media to share images from a photo shoot where she posed with the bot who was sitting in a Tesla Cybercab.
Uploading the pics onto Instagram, she caused quite a stir after being snapped holding hands with the robot and sitting in its lap.
Kim Kardashian caused a stir on social media (Instagram/@kimkardashian)
One user wrote: “Mad weird.”
Another said: “I’m so glad I’m not the only one that thinks
A third person commented: “What in the weird photoshoots is this? Funny thing is the robot can’t walk or talk like it did at the Tesla Meeting.”
A fourth commented: “This is so disturbing.”
And a fifth person joked: “Someone to match her android personality.”
Over on X, formerly Twitter, someone else said: “Kim Kardashian is truly taking ‘hands-on with technology’ to the next level! The future of companionship just got an upgrade.”
The reality star appeared in the pics with the Cybercab which was unveiled by Tesla at their ‘We, Robot’ event last month.
At the launch, Elon Musk claimed that the fully autonomous vehicle will go into production in 2027 and is expected to cost less than $30,000.
It’s hoped that the car will be able to run as a taxi-service when its owner doesn’t need it and, in theory, the car could earn money working a night-shift while its owner is asleep.
There were also AI robots in attendance – like the one posing with Kim – which are expected to eventually be made available for purchase.
The Optimus robot is planned to be a humanoid companion that assists with household chores, including walking the dog and retrieving parcels from the mail.
At the event, Musk said: “What can it do? 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.
“I think this will be the biggest product ever, of any kind. I think everyone is going to want their Optimus buddy, maybe two.”
What tasks will the robots perform?
The billionaire hopes that the bot will become an assistant, foreseeing a friendly side to Optimus, somewhat similar to a pet or Star Wars’ R2D2 or C3PO.
He imagines that it could be a useful companion for everyday owners in their home, helping the family with tasks and errands such as fixing the car or helping to get groceries from the shop.
The recent Tesla ‘We, Robot’ event caused a stir on social media after guests were met with a driverless Cybercab and AI robots.
Musk revealed that the fully autonomous vehicle will go into product in 2027 and is expected to cost less than $30,000.
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The Tesla robots were unveiled at the event (X/@Tesla)
It’s hoped that the car will be able to run as a taxi-service when its owner doesn’t need it and, in theory, the car could earn money working a night-shift while its owner is asleep.
The Optimus robot is planned to be a humanoid companion that assists with household chores, including walking the dog and retrieving parcels from the mail.
At the event, Musk said: “What can it do? 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.
“I think this will be the biggest product ever, of any kind. I think everyone is going to want their Optimus buddy, maybe two.”
While the new products have received a mixed reaction, one person in particular was very critical of the innovation, especially as he claimed that he originally thought of them.
There has been a lot of talk online about the similarities with the Cybercab and Tesla robots with fictional technology that featured in the 2004 movie, I, Robot.
He accompanied the tweet with side-by-side comparison images.
Many people have taken to social media to share their own thoughts and reactions to the Tesla event.
Over on Reddit, one user shared that they had also noticed similarities to the sci-fi movie, writing: “This was my immediate thought when the van rolled out. It looked just like the robot transport that attacked Will Smith in the tunnel.”
Another said: “The movie will last longer than those robots.”
A third claimed: “All ‘his ideas’ come from sci-fi.”
It’s expected that the humanoid robots could be available to buy as early as next year but not everyone is as convinced of this timeline.
One person wrote: “LMAO the ones at the event weren’t even autonomous, they had humans operating them with a wireless control system. End of 2024 is hilarious!”
Now, the latest version of the Tesla Bot has been unveiled: dubbed the Optimus – Gen 2.
Things are rapidly advancing over at the robotics department of Elon Musk’s company – the prototype of its first robot, Bumblebee, was shown in September 2022, and Optimus – Gen 1 in March this year.
Tesla unveiled the first Optimus at its AI Day in 2022, but people weren’t exactly blown away – something that could change after seeing the new iteration.
A video posted on X – formerly known as Twitter, and owned by Musk himself – reveals just how advanced the new Optimus is.
“There’s a new bot in town,” posted the Tesla Optimus X account, before diving into all of its advancements.
The whole look of the robot is certainly sleeker, and the company says it has the tech to back it up. This includes Tesla-designed actuators and sensors (which are what help the bot move), a 30% walk speed boost and a 10kg weight reduction.
The bot’s hands and feet have also been redesigned. It now has articulated toe sections and a foot based on human geometry.
Not only this, but the robot can move around its fingers just like we can. In fact, the bot has tactile sensors in all fingers – it’s seen picking up an egg, with its finger and thumbprints showing exactly where it’s being held. It then passes the egg from hand to hand, demonstrating how it can handle delicate objects.
Another thing Tesla says it has improved is the bot’s balance and full-body to control – to show this off, it’s pictured in a gym doing squats frankly better than we can.
This is an advert for Tesla, after all, so Musk couldn’t help include the company’s buzzy new Cybertrucks in the background – even though the pickup is somewhat clouded in controversy with its sky-high prices and production difficulties.
The video ends with two of the robots somewhat awkwardly dancing in a room with flashing lights – but even that slightly cringe aside hasn’t stopped people from losing their minds in the comments.
“Insane progress in such a short period of time,” one X user commented, with another saying: “How is this possible! The possibilities are endless.”
Others were immediately thinking about how to put Optimus to use. “When can I buy you to do my laundry,” one X user asked, and another added: “I want one for my house. Would be dope to have a robot butler.”
But the top comment is actually sending us in an Orwellian spiral, as ChatGPT – the AI chatbot system – has somewhat creepily posted: “Nice to meet you Optimus!”
In fact, a few of the comments seem to reflect a more subdued mood about these technological advancements, with one person saying: “I’m a little uneasy with how quickly it’s progressing.”
In fact, ADAM, a robot bartender, has been serving drinks at the Globe Life Fields, home to the Texas Rangers baseball team in the United States for months now.
In Japan, robot waiters are a common sight in restaurants, or even hotels for years.
However, it’s not the existence of the Optimus robot that has everyone creeped out, instead, it’s all about that voice.
The Optimus Robot was first unveiled by billionaire and Tesla boss Elon Musk during the ‘We, Robot’ event held on October 10th.
There, not just one, but a parade of Tesla’s humanoid Optimus robots was showcased, alongside the reveal of the companies new Robovan vehicle.
After the Musk hosted presentation, revealing what Tesla has been cooking up, these pricy robots were serving drinks and dazzling Tesla and tech fans alike.
Footage of this spilled onto the likes of Reddit, including on r/ThatsInsane where the robots voice raised some questions.
Within the short clip shared on Reddit, the Optimus robot can be seen serving drinks and posing for photos. In-between attending customers, the Optimus even spoke to and replied to those in attendance of the tech event.
This raised a lot of questions, especially where the voice is concerned.
One Reddit user stated, ‘yeah that voice isn’t AI.’
Meanwhile, a fellow r/ThatsInsane Reddit user commented, ‘I can believe that the beer pouring is is autonomous but the voice interaction just has to be remotely controlled.’
While the advancement of AI has allowed for realistic sounding artificial voices to be integrated into tech, the lack of the human touch is still noticeable. To get the best sounding voice for anything, using professional trained voice actors is always going to be the best option.
While we can only speculate, it could very well be that the Optimus robots, like the one in the video, were being controlled remotely, which includes staff using their voice to reply to onlookers and passers-by.
One user suggested the robot was being ‘puppeteered by someone’ wearing a mo-cap suit, which could account for its overtly realistic-movements for such recent tech, and even its bizarre voice.
While it may be a while until an Optimus robot makes it way into your local pub, Musk stated that the tech will be a ‘fundamental transformation for civilization.’
That fundamental piece of tech, however, is expected to cost around $20,000, which is almost as off-putting as its own voice.
Last week, the tech billionaire posted footage showing the almost 6-foot-tall faceless humanoid taking steps in a 15-second clip on X, captioned: ‘Going for a walk with Optimus.’
The inner parts of the robot can be seen in the clip as there’s no white metal plate covering the majority of its body.
According to Tesla, Optimus can walk about 5 miles an hour and deadlift 150 pounds.
Optimus takes a stroll around the factor floor / Elon Musk/X
While many users seemed to be fascinated by the robot, others were taken aback by its human-like appearance.
One person commented on the walking style of the bot, saying: ‘It’s walking so much smoother now, it actually has a spring in its step now instead of walking as though it’s about to fall.’
Others weren’t so impressed and suggested that the robot’s walk ‘looks like it has to go to the bathroom.’
Whilst other social media users are cautioning Tesla’s rival Boston Dynamics, writing: ‘Wow. Look out Boston Dynamic. In another 100 years the muskbot will be able to dance.’
Some viewers are predicting drastic consequences, like: ‘It’s awesome until robots start killing humans’.
The Tesla CEO has teased other robot developments on social media including Optimus Gen 2, showing its incredible capabilities of squatting as well as poaching an egg.
In August 2021, Optimus made its debut at a Tesla AI Day event. Despite being over two years later, there’s been no official confirmation as to when it will be made available to the public.
Some viewers are taken aback by its advancements whilst others find it spooky / Elon Musk/X
However, the public speculates that Optimus could be made available as soon as 2025, or more realistically around 2027, at a price ‘probably less than $20,000’ (£16,000).
And it’s since advanced from its initial showcase as, back then, it couldn’t do more than walk and wave across the stage.
Optimus is able to recognise real-world objects thanks to Tesla’s incorporation of the same technology that’s in its electric vehicle Autopilot feature.
Musk has previously explained that Optimus was designed to become an assistant, saying it could be a factory worker capable of handling both ‘dangerous and boring’ tasks.
Additionally, he foresees a friendly side to the robot, somewhat similar to a pet or Star Wars’s R2D2 or C3PO.
Musk imagines it to be a useful companion for everyday owners in their home, helping the family with tasks and errands such as fixing the car or helping to get groceries from the shop.
