Director Of ‘I, Robot’ Says Elon And Tesla Ripped Off His Designs

I, Robot director Alex Proyas recently called out Elon Musk on Twitter, accusing him of plagiarizing the designs from his 2004 sci-fi film after Musk’s unveiling of Tesla’s new robots and autonomous vehicles. During Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on October 10, Musk introduced the company’s new Cybercab, Robovan, and Optimus humanoid robots. The striking similarities between the designs and those from I, Robot did not go unnoticed, prompting Proyas to tweet, “Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please?” alongside side-by-side comparisons.

Social media quickly weighed in, with many users agreeing with Proyas. One Reddit user remarked that Tesla’s Robovan looked like the transport vehicle from the I, Robot scene where robots attack Will Smith’s character in a tunnel. Other critics slammed the Tesla event for lacking originality, with one Twitter user saying the designs felt like “blatant theft.” However, some defended Musk, arguing that designs inspired by sci-fi movies are inevitable given the forward-thinking nature of such concepts.

Musk’s Optimus robots were the most talked-about reveal from the event, with the tech mogul describing them as personal assistants capable of performing a wide range of tasks, from walking dogs to mowing lawns. Priced between $20,000 and $30,000, Musk declared the robots would be a major success, predicting that “everyone is going to want their Optimus buddy.”

While the internet continues to debate the originality of Musk’s designs, Tesla has not commented on the accusations. The discussion highlights the blurred lines between futuristic concepts in fiction and the development of real-world technology.