Has Tesla been exposed for potential plagiarism? Alex Proyas, the filmmaker behind 2004’s I, Robot, has taken to Twitter/X and slammed Tesla CEO Elon Musk for ripping off his designs.
Tesla had previously unveiled its new robotic prototypes during its We, Robot event (the first red flag of things to come) on 10 October 2024. Its name plays into the title of Issac Asimov’s 1950 short story collection, which was also the inspiration for the I, Robot film.
Among the products showcased were the Optimus robotic humanoid, the Robovan, a self-driving bus that can transport up to 20 people, and the Cybercab taxi, an autonomous vehicle with wing-like doors. Users on social media were quick to point out how all three bear a striking resemblance to designs seen in the 2004 action flick.
Design appropriation was not the only issue arising from the event, with the Optimus robots raising eyebrows after the revelation that they were not fully autonomous, instead being remotely controlled by an operator. Despite all the hype, the event also reportedly failed to impress investors, with Tesla’s stock falling by 10% after.
It seems like there are still some ways to go before real life can fully imitate reel life, but if all else fails, at least now we have usable props for I, Robot 2. The original film was set in Chicago in 2035, with a synopsis that reads:
“In 2035, highly intelligent robots fill public service positions throughout the world, operating under three rules to keep humans safe. Despite his dark history with robotics, Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) investigates the alleged suicide of U.S. Robotics founder Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell) and believes that a human-like robot (Alan Tudyk) murdered him. With the help of a robot expert (Bridget Moynahan), Spooner discovers a conspiracy that may enslave the human race.”
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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