I, Robot

As I watched the livestreaming of Tesla’s “WE, ROBOT” event on X last Thursday night, I couldn’t help but be awestruck as I watched sleek futuristic wing-door cybercabs driving guests around the Warner Brothers set in LA, witnessed the surprise unveiling of its new robovan and watched as its Optimus humanoid robots danced, served drinks and talked with guests. Although the Optimus robots were teleoperated, it was still impressive to see their level of manual dexterity and humanness.?

As we enter this new world of physical-based AI, I can’t help but worry about the dangers of these autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots getting into the hands of bad actors. Generative AI has gotten into the hands of bad actors – as I experienced when watching Tesla’s livestreamed event on what I thought was Tesla’s YouTube channel. Although Elon Musk seemed a bit less dynamic than usual and it seemed odd that he asked me to scan the QR code at the bottom of my screen to send in cryptocurrency, I was still deceived for a few minutes before I realized it was a deepfake.

Just like Sam Altman was inspired by the 2013 movie,?Her, it seems like Elon Musk was inspired by the 2004 sci-fi movie,?I, Robot, for the design of not just Optimus but also Tesla’s new robovan and cybercab. However, as the YouTube trailer to?I, Robot, which is set in 2035, warns:?

“We designed them to be trusted with our homes…with our way of life…with our world. But did we design them to be trusted?”

Note: This is an excerpt from the introduction to the 9-page research note I published on October 16 for my institutional investment and corporate clients.