Davos (Switzerland): Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the company’s Optimus humanoid robots may need to “fight their way” into widespread factory adoption amid stiff opposition from labour unions and current manufacturing norms.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Musk revealed Optimus bots are already handling simple tasks in Tesla factories, with plans for intricate operations by year-end and public sales targeted for late 2027.
Musk visualises a robot-dominated future, predicting they will outnumber humans and unlock unprecedented economic growth by tackling “anything you want.”
However, there are bottlenecks galore.
Unions, exemplified by Hyundai’s UAW backlash against Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robots, fear job displacement as firms eye workforce cuts for profit gains. Tesla’s push leverages autonomous vehicle AI for humanoid versatility, but skeptics highlight delays in self-driving tech as a cautionary tale.
Hyundai aims for 30,000 Atlas units annually by 2028, deploying them in US plants despite protests. Tesla’s EV sales slump has forced it to pivot to robotics, with Musk looking for mass production of 1 million units per year by 2030. Critics on platforms like Reddit dismiss timelines as hype to inflate stock, likening it to unfulfilled Mars colony promises.
Wall Street reacted bullishly, with Tesla shares rising on Optimus optimism despite core business woes. Musk stressed sales depend on “very high reliability, safety, and functionality,” tempering earlier 2026 rollout talk. Labour advocates warn of social upheaval, urging regulations as robots encroach on blue-collar roles from assembly lines to warehouses.
Meanwhile, as Musk bets Tesla’s future on bots, factories worldwide brace for the human-machine showdown.
