‘I, Robot’ director Alex Proyas mocks Elon Musk’s ‘We, Robot’ Tesla event

The criticism comes after Tesla’s event in Burbank, California, where the company unveiled three new innovations: the Optimus robot, Robotaxi, and Robovan

Director Alex Proyas, known for the 2004 sci-fi film I, Robot, has publicly mocked Elon Musk, accusing Tesla of copying designs from his movie for their latest robot products. The criticism comes after Tesla’s “We, Robot” event in Burbank, California, where the company unveiled three new innovations: the Optimus robot, Robotaxi, and Robovan. The internet was quick to point out the striking similarities between Tesla’s designs and those featured in I, Robot.

Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, drew comparisons to the NS5 robots from the film, while the self-driving Robotaxi and Robovan were likened to the Audi RSQ and futuristic vehicles seen in I, Robot. Despite Tesla naming the event after Isaac Asimov’s collection of short stories, which inspired the film, the similarities in design led many to accuse Musk of lacking originality.

Proyas took to social media on Sunday to mock Musk, tweeting, “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please?” The post quickly gained traction, with many fans and industry insiders weighing in.

Filmmaker Matt Granger, who worked as an assistant on I, Robot, added his own jab at Musk, tweeting, “I too wish to offer my full-fingered ‘f**k you’ to Elon and his utter lack of creativity.”

While Musk has yet to respond, the controversy has drawn attention to Tesla’s approach to design and its inspirations from Hollywood’s vision of the future.

Published - October 14, 2024 12:47 pm IST