Elon Musk Announces Tesla to Build a Humanoid Robot Prototype by 2022
On Thursday, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, announced during AI day that the company will create a humanoid robot prototype called “The Tesla Bot”. Musk expects the prototype to be complete sometime next year in 2022.
In previous statements made by Musk, he warned about the dangers if Artificial Intelligence powered robots and how he predicts scary outcomes from them. “I like to just keep an eye on what’s going on with artificial intelligence,” Musk told CNBC’s Closing Bell in 2014. “There have been movies about this, you know, like ‘[The] Terminator.’ There are some scary outcomes.” Now, his electrical vehicle company is developing one.
His rationale behind the bot is that it will perform tasks that are boring, dangerous and repetitive to humans. The robot will be 5-foot-8, weigh 125 pounds, have visual sensors and human-like hands and feet to help carry out tasks.
″[You can] talk to it and say, ‘Please pick up that bolt and attach it to a car with that wrench,’ and it should be able to do that,” said Musk during his announcement. ”‘Please go to the store and get me the following groceries.’ That kind of thing. I think we can do that.”
Tesla’s decision to build the bot was not specifically prompted by any need, but instead because the company now has the capability to develop it. “We’re [already] making the pieces that are needed for a useful humanoid robot,” said Musk. He also said the bot should be friendly but there may be scenarios that result in humans having to defend themselves from it: “Hopefully that doesn’t ever happen, but you never know.”
Many are doubting Tesla’s ability to have the prototype ready by the anticipated date next year. Musk has a previous track record of over estimating dates on larger, more flashy projects.
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