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☆ Tesla wants you to know its robot can do yoga stretches now
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla and its CEO shared a video of Tesla's Optimus robot practicing yoga and other tasks. Less than a year ago, the Tesla bot struggled to walk on stage at a demo event. AdvertisementAdvertisementElon Musk shared a video of Tesla's Optimus robot performing yoga moves and sorting blocks on Sunday. The Tesla bot appeared to perform a yoga pose balanced on one leg in the video. Less than a year ago, the Optimus robot could barely walk during a demo at the second annual Tesla AI Day event.

Persons: Tesla, Optimus, —, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, Optimus

☆ Elon Musk says Neuralink can create the 'Luke Skywalker solution' amid claims over monkey deaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The company has started recruiting for its first human trials after receiving FDA approval. Neuralink is facing claims that monkeys implanted with its chips suffered painful deaths. "When a Neuralink is combined with Optimus robot limbs, the Luke Skywalker solution can become real." When a Neuralink is combined with Optimus robot limbs, the Luke Skywalker solution can become real.https://t.co/Tr5Pa4Xfte — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 20, 2023Tesla's Optimus robot, meanwhile, was unveiled in a demonstration at its AI day last year. Musk's comments came as Neuralink faced fresh controversy over the deaths of macaque monkeys implanted with the company's brain chip.

Persons: Elon Musk, Luke, Neuralink, Musk, Optimus, quadriplegia, Tr5Pa4Xfte — Elon, Musk's Organizations: Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, Responsible Medicine, Wired, SEC, FDA Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Agility Robotics is opening a humanoid robot factory, beating Tesla to the punch
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Agility Robotics is wrapping up construction of a factory in Salem, Oregon, where it plans to mass-produce its first line of humanoid robots, called Digit. The 70,000 square-foot facility, which the company is calling the "RoboFab," is the first of its kind, according to Damion Shelton, CEO and co-founder of Agility Robotics. For now, though, Agility Robotics is focused on the installation and testing of its first production lines. Matt Ocko, managing partner at DCVC and an investor in Agility, told CNBC that Digit should "fill millions of unmet roles that human beings don't want." At the same time, he emphasized, Agility Robotics has designed its humanoid robots to work safely and autonomously as a "robotic co-worker."

Persons: Damion Shelton, Aindrea Campbell, Campbell, that's, Optimus, Shelton, crouch, Agility's, Matt Ocko Organizations: Agility Robotics, Ford, CNBC, Robotics, DCVC, Playground Global Locations: Salem , Oregon

☆ Four takeaways from Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Paul Glader | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —“You’ll never be successful,” Errol Musk in 1989 told his 17-year-old son Elon, who was then preparing to fly from South Africa to Canada to find relatives and a college education. That’s one of the scenes Walter Isaacson paints in his 670-page biography of Elon Musk, who is now the richest person who ever lived. In a 2022 email sent to Elon Musk on Father’s Day, Errol Musk said he was freezing and lacking electricity, asking his son for money. Isaacson’s book revealed Musk had a third child (Techno Mechanicus) with the musician Grimes in 2022, and Musk confirmed the revelation Sunday. “Stop falling for weird s—.”Are robocars, an AI company and a robot called Optimus on tap?

Persons: “ You’ll, Errol Musk, Elon, Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk, Isaacson, Musk, ” Musk, Errol, ” Elon Musk, ”, Covid, Anthony Fauci, Fauci, Grimes, “, ” Isaacson, Simon, Schuster Zilis, Zilis, Jenna, Musk’s, “ I’ve, Jared Birchall, Alex Spiro, Kimbal, Optimus, Sam Altman, Altman, Larry Page Organizations: CNN, Blacks, Defamation League, Elon, Twitter, Google, Microsoft, Tesla Locations: South Africa, Canada, United States, Texas

☆ Elon Musk wants to give amputees robotic limbs powered by chips implanted in their brains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk floated an idea for a new line of Tesla products on Wednesday: robotic limbs. While updating investors on Tesla's second-quarter performance on Wednesday, the billionaire entrepreneur floated an idea for a new line of Tesla products: robotic limbs. The Tesla Bot would be 5-foot-8, walk 5 miles-per-hour, be powered by AI and cameras, and be able to relieve humans of the drudgery of factory work and other manual labor, Musk said. A Tesla Bot rendering. As for Optimus, Musk said on Wednesday that he's confident that the robots will be doing "something useful" in Tesla factories come next year.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Musk, Neuralink, he's Organizations: SpaceX, Twitter, Reuters, Optimus, Tesla

☆ Elon Musk's Tesla robots could be groundbreaking for AI and automation, but still have a long way to go
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Kyle Wilson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Tesla robot will reportedly stand 5'8" and weigh 125 pounds. Elon Musk thinks that Tesla's robots could one day outnumber humans and make physical work optional. However, there will certainly be applications where having a robot able to carry significantly more weight would be useful, for example. This past March, Musk made waves by predicting that Optimus robots could outnumber humans one day. This year's update video showed marked improvements, with Optimus able to walk on its own and complete more complex tasks.

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, Musk, Optimus, It'll Organizations: YouTube, Optimus

☆ Elon Musk plans Tesla and Twitter collaborations with xAI, his new startup
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk announced his new company xAI which he says has the goal to understand the true nature of the universe. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Friday that he plans for his newest venture, the artificial intelligence startup xAI, to collaborate with the automaker both on the "silicon front" and on the "AI software front." Musk also said, during Friday's live audio session on Twitter Spaces, that xAI will use Twitter data for training the "maximally curious" artificial intelligence systems and products he hopes to build there. Musk did not specify whether and how much Twitter will charge xAI or his other companies for its data. A Tesla fan and promoter, Omar Qazi (known as Whole Mars Catalog on Twitter) asked Musk a few questions about how he plans for xAI to work with Tesla during the Spaces event.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Twitter, Tesla, Omar Qazi, Walter Isaacson, Jonathan Vanian Organizations: Twitter, SpaceX, U.S . Securities, Exchange, Alpha, Nvidia, Optimus, Tesla Locations: Texas

☆ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Review: A Stiff, Robotic Return
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) Photo: Paramount PicturesIn a late spring that has already brought us the 10th Fast & Furious flick and the 10th Spider-Man movie from Sony, the Transformers franchise feels comparatively fresh. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is merely the seventh installment in the Michael Bay-linked series about giant robots walloping each other all over the screen. This one’s a prequel to Mr. Bay’s 2007 rock-em-sock-em epic, which doubled as perhaps the world’s most expensive toy infomercial.

Persons: Peter Cullen, Michael Organizations: Optimus, Paramount Pictures, Sony

☆ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Review: Here Come the Grease Monkeys
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Amy Nicholson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” a goofy seventh installment that rattles along well enough until the wheels fall off, ballyhoos an evolution: a biomechanical gorilla who calls himself Optimus Primal. In fairness, these metaphysical questions were explored in the futuristic and bizarrely engaging ’90s cartoon “Beast Wars: Transformers” and its spinoff “Beast Machines: Transformers,” which felt like sipping on a spiked juice box in an ashram. When that Optimus Primal was asked if he was robot or animal, he mystically intoned, “Both … and neither. Only then can you truly say, ‘I am transformed.’”But also in fairness, those shows and this movie share zero DNA. “I don’t get ‘Beast Wars,’” Lorenzo di Bonaventura, one of this film’s producers, once said.

Persons: Optimus, mystically intoned, ’ ” Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Steven Caple Jr, Simpson, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Colman Domingo, Peter Dinklage Organizations: Optimus, Machines

☆ 'Transformers': Rise of the Beasts' brings new characters to franchise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Huge statues of the film's characters, Autobot leader Optimus Prime and Maximal leader Optimus Primal, towered over the red carpet where cast members Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback and Tobe Nwigwe premiered "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts". It brings in a new faction of Transformers, the Maximals, who join forces with the Autobots to fight off planet-eating villain Unicron. “When you're on movie number seven, you're like, what can we bring fresh and what can we bring new to the table?" How do we do that?’ And so we did our best to bring that home,” Fishback said on Noah and Elena's key roles in the movie. Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mark Vahradian, Steven Caple Jr, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Dominique Fishback, Anthony Ramos, Tobe Nwigwe, Maja Smiejkowska, Optimus, Ramos, Fishback, Noah, Elena, Anthony, Steven, ” Fishback, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Maja Smiejkowska LONDON, Leicester, Paramount Pictures, Hasbro, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Leicester Square, London, Britain

☆ When the Neighbors Don’t Share Your Vision (and That Vision Involves ‘Transformers’ Statues)
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Noreen Malone | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The thing about putting a pair of 10-foot statues of metal-hewn Transformers outside your townhouse in the most picturesque district of the nation’s capital is that the neighbors are going to have opinions. Plenty of people love the statues, which resemble invaders from the future, in a neighborhood that does its best to hang on to its cobblestone past. Students at nearby Georgetown University can’t get enough. Neither can tourists: The Transformers statues have their own entry on Google Maps as a place of interest, with 4.9 stars. “The best part of visiting Georgetown,” one reviewer declared.

Persons: —, Newton Howard, Georgetown University can’t, “, ” Organizations: Optimus, Georgetown University, Google Locations: Georgetown, Taiwan

☆ Long-time Tesla bear sees more trouble ahead for EV maker after annual meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Long-time Tesla bear Toni Sacconaghi forsees more turbulent times ahead for the electric vehicle maker on the heels of its annual shareholder meeting. "We believe Tesla's challenges instead stem from its limited model lineup, and that 2024 could be even more challenging." At the annual meeting Tuesday, CEO Elon Musk vowed to deliver Tesla's first Cybertrucks in 2023, while sharing expectations for a rocky economy ahead. According to Sacconaghi, many of Tesla's challenges come from its limited model lineup and "unrealistically aggressive" ambitions for its Model 3 and Model Y and their addressable markets. The long-time Tesla bear retained his underperform rating and $150 price target on shares, reflecting about 10% downside from Tuesday's close.

☆ 3 ways the $800 billion AI explosion will boost Tesla's stock in the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Joe Ciolli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In a new note to clients, the firm looked at how the AI boom will impact the market's top tech titans. Detailed below are three ways Wedbush sees AI opportunities helping Tesla's stock in the future. Ives also has thoughts on how Musk's forays into AI can boost shares of his crown jewel: Tesla. He sees three ways its implementation can help drive stock gains in the future. "That could lead to further improvements of Tesla's supply chain by opening up limitless labor supply for production lines while improving its cost structure during a labor constrained environment," he wrote.

☆ Who Owns SpongeBob? AI Shakes Hollywood’s Creative Foundation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | Sarah Krouse | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When Paramount Global ’s technology chief Phil Wiser previewed for company leaders the risks and wonders of artificial intelligence, he turned to SpongeBob SquarePants. Mr. Wiser instructed an AI tool called DALL-E to show SpongeBob, one of Paramount’s iconic characters, flying a plane. An image of the rectangular cartoon star doing just that appeared on a large TV screen, during the presentation to Chief Executive Bob Bakish and others earlier this year. Next, Mr. Wiser asked the tool to show “Transformers” character Optimus Prime on the Paramount studios lot. Within seconds, it spit out an image of the towering robot next to the cafe on the lot.

☆ AI Shakes Hollywood’s Creative Foundation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | Sarah Krouse | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Elon Musk reportedly once insulted an OpenAI intern after he questioned his decision to pursue AGI tech at Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He reportedly called one intern a "jackass" after he questioned his decision to pursue AGI at Tesla. And an OpenAI executive later had a "jackass" trophy made for the intern to commemorate the quarrel. Musk reportedly told staff he thought Tesla had a better chance of achieving artificial general intelligence – the point at which AI is as capable as humans. Then Musk "grew visibly frustrated" and called the intern a "jackass," the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. Musk seemed to be less confident about the company's role in the technology's future in 2022, tweeting: "Tesla AI might play a role in AGI."

☆ Matthew McConaughey's Salesforce gig
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hallam Bullock here, reporting from London — and yes, Matthew McConaughey is on my mind. Salesforce has reportedly been paying McConaughey $10 million a year to act as a "creative adviser." Robyn Phelps/InsiderProgrammers are thrilled about AI tools like ChatGPT. Read why programmers are pumped about the rise of AI tools. Larry Lundstrom spends about 40 to 60 hours a week as a pastor, but on the side, he uses AI tools like ChatGPT to make pitch decks for businesses.

☆ Elon Musk predicts Tesla's humanoid 'Optimus' robots will eventually outnumber humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk predicted that Tesla's AI-powered humanoid robots would one day outnumber humans. "I don't think there's anyone even close to Tesla on solving real-world AI," Musk said. Musk first revealed Tesla's "Optimus" robots in 2021, though the prototype was revealed to be a person in a bodysuit. "You could sort of see a home use for robots, certainly industrial uses for robots, humanoid robots," he said. Wednesday's update showed a more advanced version of the AI robot which walked and completed tasks.

☆ Musk: 'AI stresses me out'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Joseph White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"AI stresses me out," Musk said near the end of a more than three-hour presentation to Tesla investors about company plans. But when asked by an analyst if AI could help Tesla build cars, Musk took a less optimistic line. "I'm a little worried about the AI stuff," Musk said from a stage where he was flanked by 16 Tesla executives, including Autopilot head. "We need some kind of, like, regulatory authority or something overseeing AI development," Musk said. Tesla's effort to enable its cars to drive themselves safely is "obviously useful" AI, Musk said.

TOKYO, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate Sony Group Corp (6758.T) said on Tuesday it has the technology to make humanoid robots quickly once it has identified how they could be effectively used. "In terms of technology, several companies in the world including this one have enough technology accumulated to make them swiftly once it becomes clear which usage is promising," Sony Chief Technology Officer Hiroaki Kitano told Reuters in an interview. Sony launched a robot dog called Aibo more than two decades ago. Humanoid robots have been in development for decades by Honda Motor Co (7267.T) and Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and in September, Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk showed off a prototype of its humanoid robot Optimus. Musk's company is floating plans to deploy thousands of the robots in its factories, expanding eventually to millions around the world.

☆ Goldman says humanoid robots will be a $6 billion market in 10 years – How to play the growing trend
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The firm estimates that in 10 to 15 years, it's achievable for the humanoid robots market to reach $6 billion and continue to grow from there. Forecasting growth in the sector shows that humanoid robots could become a widely adopted terminal device, following only smartphones and electric vehicles, according to Goldman Sachs. Where investment opportunities lie The firm put together a list of stocks in its coverage universe that could benefit from the trend towards adoption of humanoid robots across a few different areas. "What's unique in humanoid robots' sensing module is gyroscope/ Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU), to keep the robot's balance," said Du. "Future attempts at humanoid robots will need to decide whether they can reduce the usage of hardware components and let software take on the analytical role."

☆ Elon Musk touts big plans for Tesla's Optimus robot, but some experts doubt it's the next big thing
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Eight experts told Insider they have doubts about Elon Musk's promises for Tesla's Optimus bot. Several experts said Tesla's AI Day demonstration doesn't stand out from other companies' projects. This year, at Tesla's second annual AI Day a prototype of the Optimus bot walked slowly onto the stage and waved to the audience. The Optimus bot did stand out in one way, according to several experts — its hands. Animesh Garg, a professor of AI Robotics at the University of Toronto, called the bot's hands "impressive."

☆ Tesla robot slowly walks on stage at AI Day
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-30 | by ( Matt Mcfarland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —Tesla revealed on Friday a prototype of a humanoid robot that it says could be a future product for the automaker. The robot, dubbed Optimus by Tesla, walked stiffly on stage at Tesla’s AI Day, slowly waved at the crowed and gestured with its hands for roughly one minute. Tesla plans to use its AI expertise to develop a humanoid robot. Compared to that, it’s going to be very impressive.”Tesla is not the first automaker to develop a humanoid robot. In its final form, Asimo was a child-size humanoid robot capable of untethered walking, running, climbing and descending stairs, and manipulating objects with its fingers.

☆ Toy companies expect grown-ups to shop more for other adults this holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The toy giants realize that many adults aren’t just looking to buy toys for their children, grandkids, nieces and nephews. Companies like Hasbro (HAS) are increasingly looking to adults (and not just parents) as buyers for nostalgic products, whether its gifts for older loved ones, friends or for themselves. Toy companies and other collectibles makers clearly recognize that grown-up shoppers are still invested in the brands that they played with as kids. Mattel (MAT) is hoping to cash in from more adults buying toys for other grown-ups as well. “The Bear Cave has more lighthearted products for adults,” Price John said, including some bears drinking a glass (or bottle) of wine.

☆ Elon Musk faces skeptics as Tesla gets ready to unveil ‘Optimus’ robot
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Humanoid robots have been in development for decades by Honda Motor Co and Hyundai Motor‘s Boston Dynamics unit. And it’s the same way with humanoid robots to some extent,” the lead of NASA’s Dexterous Robotics Team, Shaun Azimi, told Reuters. Musk acknowledged that humanoid robots do not have enough intelligence to navigate the real world without being explicitly instructed. But he said Tesla can leverage its expertise in AI and key components to develop and produce smart, yet less expensive, humanoid robots at scale. Jonathan Hurst, chief technology officer at Agility Robotics, a humanoid robot firm founded in 2015 said the technology “is right now starting to turn the corner.”“Certainly, an important measure of success is do they make money from it,” he told Reuters, referring to Tesla’s humanoid robot efforts.

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