Outspoken Tesla CEO, stock market influence, and modern-day mad scientist Elon Musk is continuing his attempt to turn the near future into that of a science fiction novel. With self-driving cars and spaceships already under his belt, Musk is now looking to add more futuristic possibilities to his itinerary. This week, the Tesla CEO debuted a prototype model of the Tesla Bot — a robot powered by artificial intelligence with human capabilities. His hope is that the Tesla Bot will have profound effects on the economy by replacing the most laborious and dangerous human tasks and jobs. Keep in mind, this is the same man who called artificial intelligence the world’s “biggest existential threat.”
Xiaolu Chu/Getty Images
“In the future, physical labor will be a choice,” Musk said during his demonstration in this week’s AI Day. The 5’8″, 125-pound Tesla Bot is set to “start dealing with work that is boring, repetitive and dangerous,” Musk added. He told the audience that the robot, which appears faceless with a black and gray color scheme, would be capable of lifting around 45-pounds while moving at about eight kilometers per hour.
“We’re setting it such that it is at a mechanical level, a physical level, that you can run away from it, and most likely overpower it,” Musk said in response to questions about the dangers of the AI robot. Still, he has hopes that the Tesla Bot will be employed widely by making them easily accessible and inexpensive.
Is this a good move by Musk? Check out the announcement below: