Musk: humanoid robots to be largest industry, Optimus outside delivery by end of next year
In short
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on the company's earnings call on Wednesday, US Eastern time, that he believes the whole humanoid robot sector will become the world's largest industry. He expects problems in robot AI, electromechanical design, reliability and lifespan to be solved by the end of next year, when Tesla could deliver Optimus to outside companies.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on the company's earnings call on Wednesday, US Eastern time, that he firmly believes the entire humanoid robot sector will become the world's largest industry. He added that the number of humanoid robots on Earth will in future even exceed the number of humans, according to CLS, 36Kr and Jiemian. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Musk also said he expects that by the end of next year a series of issues, including robot AI, electromechanical design, reliability and lifespan, can be resolved. In his words, 'at that point, we can deliver Optimus externally to companies other than Tesla.' CLS reported the remarks on 22 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The documents report the remarks as Musk's own statements and expectations on an earnings call. They give no figures or other evidence beyond his comments, so the timeline remains his expectation.
Key facts
- Tesla CEO Musk spoke on Tesla's earnings call on Wednesday, US Eastern time. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Musk said he firmly believes the entire humanoid robot sector will become the world's largest industry. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Musk said humanoid robots on Earth will in future even outnumber humans. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Musk expects robot AI, electromechanical design, reliability and lifespan issues to be solved by the end of next year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Musk said that only at that point could Tesla deliver Optimus externally to companies other than Tesla. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Nothing is confirmed by two independent outlets yet.
Still unclear
- Whether Tesla will meet the end-of-next-year timeline for external Optimus deliveries. The timeline is Musk's expectation (the issues are described as expected to be solved); the documents give no further detail.
- On Tesla's earnings call, Musk said he believes the whole humanoid robot sector will become the world's largest industry and that humanoid robots will outnumber humans. Reported by a single source so far
- Musk expects the technical issues to be resolved by the end of next year, after which Optimus could be delivered to companies outside Tesla. Reported by a single source so far