A recent Daily Mail article misleadingly implied Tesla’s humanoid Optimus robot attacked and injured an engineer. However, the incident actually involved a standard industrial Kuka arm at Tesla’s factory in 2021.
The inflammatory headline sparked fears of a nefarious AI plot. But Optimus, which is still in early development, was not involved whatsoever. Elon Musk blasted the report as “truly shameful” and aimed at dredging up old news to sow fear.
The Daily Mail makes it seem like Optimus violently revolted against humans. In reality, a factory robot performed as programmed, while a worker unfortunately misunderstood its operating status.
“Attacks” anthropomorphizes robotic arms as sinister aggressors. When in truth, the robot was just following its coded instructions. The injury, while regrettable, resulted from a predictable industrial accident.
Musk pointed out this clickbait tactic of implying Tesla’s AI has gone rogue. The report irresponsibly stokes anxiety over a non-existent dangerous AI. Optimus is designed to help, not harm, humans.
Rather than honest journalism, the story appears aimed at generating fear-based clicks. Musk accused the Mail of upping their “hit-piece-game” to profit from Tesla animosity.
Spreading AI alarmism may attract eyeballs, but does a disservice to readers. Tesla is working diligently on safe, beneficial robotics. Hyping an old factory mishap falsely portrays their efforts as hazardous.
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