Elon Musk recently stirred up concern on social media by posting a new AI video on his X page. Previously, his Optimus Gen 2 robots have sparked apprehension online, but their intended purpose is to develop a versatile, bi-pedal, autonomous humanoid robot that can carry out unsafe, repetitive, or monotonous tasks, as stated on Tesla’s website.
Musk has showcased tasks these robots might perform, like folding laundry or pouring drinks. On November 21, he released an AI-generated video illustrating a future where Optimus robots play a role in our daily lives, highlighting the potential and ambitions for this technology.
However, not everyone is receptive to the concept, as seen in the reactions from social media users.
The video, crafted by Alex Utopia with Grok Imagine and Nano Banana Pro, depicted Optimus robots in various roles such as chefs, police officers, construction workers, and paramedics. Additionally, the video featured robot influencers filming themselves in public spaces.
In one scene, a robot was sipping whiskey and playing poker, drawing comparisons to dystopian sci-fi films like the 2004 movie “I, Robot.” Some users expressed their disapproval, with comments like, “We don’t f**king want this, Elon. We’ve already seen the movies.”
Another user expressed concerns about job displacement: “It’s 2025 and the world’s population is increasing everyday, and instead of looking for a way to create more jobs, the world is looking for a way to take the ones humans already have supporting themselves and their families, and giving it to objects, which is sad.”
Additional comments included: “Looks Just Like A Scene From iRobot,” and “I hate everything about this. Humans should never be replaced by AI or robots. Ever!! The movie iRobot is becoming real.”
Despite the apprehension, some individuals embraced the prospect of such a future.
One person remarked: “This isn’t about the montage, it’s about Tesla showing the types of tasks Optimus will handle as the hardware catches up. Every robot revolution started with a vision video.” Another added: “The future showed up early. Robots in real-world jobs aren’t sci-fi anymore — they’re inevitable.”
A third person expressed mixed feelings: “Working as a paramedic – this would truly change the game. Kinda afraid but kinda very curious. Lets see what happens when robots taking over.”
Musk has previously claimed that he believes “Optimus will be the biggest product of all time by far,” predicting that by 2040, there will be at least 10 billion humanoid robots in existence. He told Tesla employees in April, “Nothing will even be close. I think it’ll be 10 times bigger than the next biggest product ever made.”