Tesla could begin manufacturing of a humanoid robotic generally known as Optimus as early as subsequent 12 months, CEO Elon Musk mentioned Thursday.

The electrical automobile maker first teased the robotic, often known as the Tesla Bot, at its “AI Day” in Aug. 2021, saying will probably be a normal goal machine able to doing a variety of duties.

“We now have a shot of being in manufacturing for model considered one of Optimus hopefully subsequent 12 months,” Musk mentioned Thursday on the opening of Tesla’s new automobile meeting plant in Austin, Texas, the place he appeared on stage — in a cowboy hat and sun shades — to Dr. Dre’s “Nonetheless D.R.E.”

Tesla has but to disclose a working prototype of the robotic, nonetheless, and it is unclear how subtle Optimus is at this stage.

Musk claimed that Optimus will finally give you the option do something that people do not wish to do, claiming that it’s going to result in an “age of abundance”.

Hanging a bullish tone, Musk additionally prompt that the robotic will “remodel the world … to a level even higher” than the automobiles Tesla is famend for. “It is perhaps onerous to think about it,” he mentioned.

AI has been hailed as a possible risk to humanity and Musk mentioned in 2018 that he thinks AI is extra harmful that nuclear weapons. “As you see Optimus develop, everybody’s going to verify it is protected,” he mentioned Thursday. “No Terminator stuff or that form of factor.”

He beforehand mentioned Tesla was designing the robotic in order that people could be able to operating away from it, or overpowering it.

When Musk first introduced Tesla’s robotic, he mentioned will probably be based mostly on the identical chips and sensors that the corporate’s automobiles use for self-driving options. It’s 5 foot eight inches tall, in accordance with Musk, and has a display screen at head-height for helpful info.

Many individuals initially thought that the bot was little greater than an AI recruitment instrument for Tesla, however Musk mentioned in January that the robotic is definitely a high precedence for brand spanking new product improvement this 12 months.

“I believe it has the potential to be extra vital than the automobile enterprise over time,” Musk mentioned of the robotic on the time. The truth that he is now speaking about manufacturing in 2023 suggests Optimus is certainly a critical endeavor.

AI researcher and entrepreneur Gary Marcus instructed CNBC he’d be prepared to make a guess that no robotic will be capable of do all human duties by the tip of 2023.

“Tesla has not even (after years of effort) come near reliably fixing one comparatively easy process (driving); to assert {that a} robotic that has by no means been proven publicly will resolve all of human duties within the subsequent 12 months or two is preposterous,” he mentioned.

“He can ship no matter he needs subsequent 12 months, since he’s the boss, however there isn’t any means that model one will come wherever close to his ambitions, whether it is launched that shortly.”

Musk is understood for his showmanship, through which he publicizes that Tesla is engaged on thrilling merchandise scheduled for years into the long run to energise backers together with staff, prospects, and traders. Usually, merchandise launches don’t occur on the timeline predicted.

As an example, at an “Autonomy Day” occasion in Apr. 2019, Musk mentioned the corporate would have 1 million autonomous “robotaxis” on the street in 2020. These robotaxis are nowhere to be seen.

And in October 2016, Musk held an occasion at Common Studios’ again lot in Los Angeles to indicate off a product he known as the Photo voltaic Roof. The photo voltaic roof tiles on show turned out to be merely conceptual.

— Further reporting by CNBC’s Kif Leswing.