Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled several long-awaited projects last Thursday, showcasing Tesla’s latest technological advancements, including the cybercab, the robovan, and a new humanoid robot named Optimus. The event featured Tesla’s Optimus robot interacting with attendees, serving drinks, and even saw the robot engaging with the crowd, though questions remain about whether the robot was fully autonomous or controlled remotely.
However, one person seemed convinced that Tesla’s new designs looked familiar. Alex Proyas, the director of the 2004 sci-fi film I, Robot, took to Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to voice his displeasure. Proyas posted a comment directed at Musk, saying, “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back, please?”
His post featured side-by-side images of “I, Robot’s” autonomous police force next to the Optimus bot, transport in the 2004 film next to Tesla’s Robovan, and a futuristic car from Proyas’ film next to the cyber cab.
Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please? #ElonMusk #Elon_Musk pic.twitter.com/WPgxHevr6E
— Alex Proyas (@alex_proyas) October 13, 2024
The film, starring Will Smith and set in 2035, was based on Isaac Asimov’s classic science fiction short stories, focusing on a detective investigating a murder possibly committed by an autonomous robot. The world of I, Robot features advanced robots governed by Asimov’s famous “Three Laws of Robotics,” which prohibit robots from harming humans or disobeying orders. In Proyas’ social media post, he highlighted striking similarities between Tesla’s futuristic vehicles and robots and the designs used in his film.
Proyas, best known for directing The Crow and Dark City, has recently shared his views on AI and the entertainment industry on his Patreon account. He is currently working on another sci-fi film titled R.U.R.