Tesla's Optimus Robots were remotely operated by humans at the Cybercab event, but they will likely become fully autonomous machines soon.

Tesla used humans to remotely control some capabilities of its Optimus robot prototypes at a recent event, according to people familiar with the matter.

Musk first announced Tesla’s humanoid robot by bringing what was very clearly a person in a robot suit on stage, so it’s no surprise that the Optimuses (Optimi? Optimodes?) at

Gene Munster, managing partner of growth-investment firm Deepwater Asset Management, acknowledged the idea that Optimus was remotely controlled and said he had been “fooled” at the event. Still, he said in a post on Musk’s X platform, it gave a “window into the potential around these products.”

I, Robot' director Alex Proyas accused Elon Musk of ripping off his sci-fi film designs in Musk's latest Tesla prototypes, including the Optimus bot.

Tesla plans to launch fully autonomous driving in Texas and California next year, with the Cybercab entering production by 2026 — although he said it could be as late as 2027. Additionally, Tesla is developing the Optimus robot, which could be available for $20,000–$30,000 and is capable of performing various tasks.

Elon Musk's Optimus robots were voiced and operated remotely by humans wearing special suits that translated their movements to the droid.

Behind the flash and spectacle, it was clear that the Tesla's Optimus robots were not as autonomous as they appeared.

Musk said the $20,000 to $30,000 robot could perform household tasks like mowing lawns and putting away groceries.