Elon Musk says Tesla humanoid Optimus can now do anything that you can think of

At the We, Robot event, Elon Musk once again showed off the Tesla humanoid Optimus. At the showcase, he said, "anything that you can think of, it will do".

In Short

• Tesla unveils Cybercab and showcases Optimus robot at We, Robot event
• Optimus can perform various tasks like walking dogs and serving drinks
• Musk claims Optimus will be affordable, priced between $20,000 and $30,000

At the We, Robot event last night, the star of the show was the highly anticipated Tesla Cybercab. However, at the event, Elon Musk once again showed off the Tesla humanoid Optimus, which he says can now “do anything”. “The Optimus will walk amongst you,” Musk said. “You’ll be able to walk right up to them, and they will serve drinks,” he added. Musk describes the Optimus’ capabilities as virtually limitless. He says it can walk your dog, babysit, mow the lawn, and even serve drinks. He estimates the long-term price to range between $20,000 and $30,000. “I believe this will be the most significant product ever created,” Musk claimed.

"I think everyone in the 8 billion people on Earth will want an Optimus buddy," said Musk.

In December 2023, Musk introduced the Optimus Gen 2, the latest version of Tesla’s humanoid robot. Unlike its predecessor, which could mainly walk and talk, this iteration boasts a faster walking speed, enhanced hand movements, tactile sensors on its fingers, and several other improvements.

Earlier this year, Elon Musk shared a post on X, showcasing a new skill Tesla's humanoid robot, Optimus, had mastered—folding shirts. In the video, Optimus was seen picking up a black shirt from a basket placed next to it on a table and neatly folding it. The clip is aptly titled, "Optimus folds a shirt."

This year, Musk shared another video of the humanoid walking like a human, which was arguably part cool and part creepy.

Tesla first unveiled the concept for this humanoid robot, dubbed Tesla Optimus or Tesla Bot, during AI Day in 2021. Designed to be a multi-functional machine, it aims to handle tasks that are unsafe, repetitive, or monotonous for humans.

Although still in development, Tesla has been releasing updates to showcase Optimus' progress; the demonstration on Thursday is an example of that. The Gen 2 model represents the latest leap in the robot’s evolution.

Back in 2022, Tesla revealed a prototype that could walk and perform basic actions, such as retrieving objects. During an onstage demonstration, Elon Musk highlighted that it was the robot’s first untethered operation. Videos showed the bot successfully picking up objects and watering plants. Musk noted the safety precautions taken during the demonstration, joking, "We didn’t want it to fall on its face."

As for the Cybercab, Elon Musk showcased his ambitious plans for a fully autonomous vehicle that eliminates traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals. "It will be cheaper than mass transit. Unsupervised, full self-driving capable cars should be available in Texas and California by next year on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y for starters. Model S and Cybertruck too,” said Musk at the event. He also announced that the production of the Cybercab will start sometime in 2026.