A movie director and the public are noticing similarities between the Tesla Inc TSLA robotaxi, now known as Cybercab, the company’s Robovan, and the Optimus bot, and the technology featured in the 2004 film “I, Robot.”
What Happened: When it comes to vehicle design inspiration, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known to look to some of his favorite films. "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Blade Runner" both inspired the Cybertruck.
The unveiling of Cybercab and robovan saw the internet quickly point out the similarities between these vehicles and the ones featured in the 2004 film "I, Robot," which starred Will Smith. Images of the robots in the movie also bear a striking resemblance to the Optimus bot that Tesla featured at its event.
"Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back, please?" movie director Alex Proyas tweeted, accompanied by an image of the three items from the film he directed and the three Tesla items.
"I, Robot" was based on the 1950 short-story collection by Isaac Asimov. It's worth pointing out that Tesla's Robotaxi Day was officially referred to as "We, Robot."
The film saw Smith play a detective trying to solve a murder case that, as Variety reported, may have been caused by an autonomous police force in the futuristic world of 2035.
Matt Granger, who worked as an assistant on "I, Robot," also tweeted about the similarities between the Tesla products and the items in the film he worked on.
"I too wish to offer my full-fingered ‘f*** you' to Elon and his utter lack of creativity," Granger said in a since-deleted tweet, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
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Why It's Important: The director’s allegations come as many pointed out the similarities online, and the name of the event paid tribute to the original short stories that inspired the movie.
Musk has said the Robovan design was inspired by old art deco trains and that the vehicle is meant to feel like a spaceship for people inside.
The Optimus bot was revealed previously and drew calls that it resembled the robots in the 2004 film. With all three items now bearing a striking resemblance to the movie, the callouts could increase.
Musk previously said the Cybertruck design was inspired by the James Bond film and Blade Runner. Musk has also noted several times that with the Cybertruck he wanted to make a vehicle Blade Runner would drive. In 2013, Musk paid nearly $1 million for a car from "The Spy Who Loved Me."
TSLA Price Action: Tesla stock is up 0.4% to $218.70 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $138.80 to $271.00. Tesla stock is down 12.5% year-to-date in 2024.
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Image creates using photo from Tesla and Shutterstock
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