'I, Robot' director accuses Elon Musk of copying designs for humanoid robots

The director of the 2004 sci-fi film “I, Robot” has accused Tesla co-founder Elon Musk of copying his designs for humanoid robots and self-driving vehicles.

This comes as Musk unveiled Tesla’s “cybertaxi,” called Robotaxi, at the “We, robot" launch event in California last Thursday (10 October). The Robotaxi features a futuristic design with a smooth exterior, zero rearview mirrors, and gullwing doors. It operates without a steering wheel or pedals, relying instead on artificial intelligence (AI) and cameras. Musk also unveiled a new look for its Optimus robots.

On 13 October, Alex Proyas, the director of "I, Robot", which stars Will Smith, accused Musk of copying his work in a post on X. “Hey Musk, can I have my designs back, please?” the post reads.

The post includes a collage comparing the designs of the film's robot Optimus, the Robovan, and the Robotaxi, highlighting elements from the movie. According to a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE on X, the post has garnered over 7.5 million views, 158,000 likes, and 18,500 reposts. 

Although the post has received significant attention among netizens, some do not support Proyas' accusation. Some argue that there isn't a single original idea, while others believe that Tesla’s designs are cleaner and superior, emphasising that execution is key in the real world and that ideas are plentiful.

Meanwhile, Proyas said he worked with a "very talented design team" to create the film's visuals in response to a comment questioning their originality on an Instagram post, according to BBC. He added, "Musk, on the other hand, seems to have a less talented design team that has watched a lot of movies, including 'I, Robot'." According to a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, the Instagram post is no longer available.

Patrick Tatopoulos, the production designer of "I, Robot", also shared the collage that compares the film's designs with visuals from Tesla's event on his Instagram.

"Maybe it is just me, or should I feel honoured that Musk found some inspiration in my 'I, Robot' designs? Probably my imagination is running wild. Well either way it’s fun to watch,” the post reads. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Tesla for a statement. 

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Designed to democratise transportation and foster a sustainable future, Tesla recently launched Robotaxi for customers to hail rides, Robovan for autonomous transport of groups or goods, and Tesla Bot to assist with daily tasks such as completing household chores and running errands.

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