‘I, Robot’ director accuses Elon Musk of stealing designs for Tesla’s robot and vehicles

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is facing unexpected criticism I, Robot director Alex Proyas, who has accused the tech billionaire of using design elements from his 2004 sci-fi film for Tesla’s recently unveiled products, including the Optimus robot, cybercab and robovan. During the unveiling of Tesla’s latest autonomous technology, Musk unveiled these new prototypes, but Proyas quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his concerns. The director posted side-by-side images of Tesla’s creations alongside similar concepts I, Robotasking, “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please?”

The comparisons drew attention because of the similarities between Tesla’s self-driving vehicles and the futuristic cars of I, Robotas well as the resemblance of Tesla’s Optimus robot to the film’s autonomous police. The 2004 film, starring Will Smith and based on Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot stories, featured advanced robotics governed by the famous “Three Laws of Robotics,” which play a central role in the film’s plot.

Proyas, known for directing films like the crow i dark cityhas expressed his thoughts on AI and its growing role in society, sharing information on his Patreon. He is currently working on another sci-fi film, RURwhich delves into similar robotics and AI topics.

As the debate unfolds, fans of both Proyas and Musk must ponder whether these similarities are mere coincidence or a case of artistic borrowing. For now, the controversy surrounding Tesla’s new robot and vehicle designs continues to spark conversation on social media.