Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and the second-richest person in the world is announcing his robot idea on Thursday. He says it might be a prototype by 2022. This one, while Musk has made a lot of funny vaporware presentations, including the Loop and Cybertruck, might be his best.
Advertisement
Musk's robot was nothing more than a human dancing around in a full-body suit. But he promised that his electric car company is actually working on something. He wants you to believe his story.
Musk stated emphatically that the Tesla bot would be real and he was trying to get his fake robot off-stage.
Musk stated that Tesla is the most important robotics company in the world because its cars are semi-sentient robots on wheels.
Musk gave details of his completely imaginable creation. He is positioning his robotic dream to be the future of labor. This makes sense considering the poor working conditions and verbal abuse in the workplace. R obot workers don't complain when they are forced to work in unsafe indoor spaces during a pandemic.
G/O Media could get a $40 commission on the Vankyo Leisure 3W Wireless Mini Projector. This is their lowest ever price!
This is the perfect product for outdoor and home theaters. Buy at Best Buy for $80
What happens if there is a shortage of labor? Musk stated that he believes long-term there will be a universal basic income. He was applauded by the crowd at Teslas AI Day.
This robot isn't working right now, so it won't be able to do the job. We just need a few minutes. Physical work, especially in the future will be an option. Musk said that you can do it if you wish, but it won't be necessary.
Advertisement
Gizmodo can tell you that Musk's robot will be 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weigh approximately 125 pounds. According to Musk, the robot is designed to remove boring, repetitive, and dangerous tasks. You could also tell that it has 40 actuators and Tesla Autopilot cameras in its head. However, that would be a complete waste of everyone's time.
This isn't even a prototype for something that may end up on store shelves. The promise of a prototype in the future is worse than regular vapeware. If you are interested, you can view the video.
It's not worth revealing something that is unlikely to happen. It doesn't matter if it was Musks robotaxis, which were expected to arrive in 2020, or solar roof tiles that were announced in 2016, the purpose of vaporware has been to get a company to the front page and sell more of what they have sold before. With only 24 hours to fill, bored TV news outlets can wash a brand. In this instance, Musks Teslain a hopeful techno-utopian mystique. This helps to distract from negative news stories like the death of Autopilot users.
Advertisement
It would seem that Musk received exactly the coverage he desired overnight, thanks to this bizarre presentation that was streamed live on YouTube. Take a look at the different news outlets that Musk's stories were featured in.
CNN
Musk stated that the robot would have a significant impact on the economy. Musk stated that physical work will be an option in the future and that a universal basic income is needed. Musk is one of the Silicon Valley leaders that has warned against technology destroying many jobs, so some people will need an additional income source.
Advertisement
TechCrunch:
Musk imagines this as replacing much the human drudgery that is currently occupying so many people's lives, not only labor but also grocery shopping and other daily tasks. Musk spoke of a future where physical work was an option, and all the implications it might have for the economy.
Advertisement
Fox Business:
It would do the job that people don't like doing. It measures approximately 5 feet 8. Musk said that it has a screen at the top of the head for information. However, the car also has the autopilot system, eight cameras and a camera. Fully self-driving computer, making use of all the same tools as the car. Musk used the current worker shortage to illustrate this point.
Advertisement
Each of these stories could easily have appeared in the 1950s or 1960s with minor modifications. Is there a universal basic income that can be guaranteed to all workers because robots have taken their jobs? This excerpt is from the November 26, 1967 Gastonia Gazette, North Carolina. We are emphasizing ours.
People who want to be free from work can take comfort in Sebastian de Grazia's prediction that by 2000 the average workweek will have 31 hours. It may even be as little as 21. Twenty years later, the number of hours worked on-the-job may have dropped to 26 or 16. What will people do with all this free time? This outlook is not encouraging. De Grazia believes that the future is not bright. Nonautomated jobs will increase if automation is the cause. However, they will be stigmatized as stupid if they are. Accepting them will be preferable to working. Acceptance will make men more politically insecure.
Advertisement
There are literally hundreds of such examples from mainstream commentators at the time. Walter Cronkite was the most revered newsman of his generation, and he promised a 30-hour work week with a month-long vacation as the rule for 2000. Thanks to our robot friends, it was possible.
Unfortunately, we need to completely reorganize society if any of these robots are to create less work. Musk's old-fashioned promises may become a reality, if politicians want them to. Although worker productivity has risen to an all-time high, workers still don't share in the wealth that they have created. Billionaires like Musk keep more of the profits. Because your boss doesn't have an incentive to pay you less, we didn't get 30-hour workweeks. Your boss wants you to do as much work as possible and only pay you what you can afford. This is the essence of capitalism.
Advertisement
Curiously Musks' fake robot bears a striking resemblance with Miss Honeywell, another human who dressed up in the 1960s to appear like an automation.
Musk might not always be able to deliver the future for humanity. Musk is a master of retro-future theatrics.
