Videos: Tesla's Optimus loses 3-0 at rock, paper, scissors, admits hardest part of being a robot is...

Promotional Image for Tesla's bi-pedal Optimus robot. (Image: Tesla)

At the cutting-edge “We, Robot” event in California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made headlines with the reveal of the company's humanoid robot, Optimus. The highly-anticipated showcase offered a glimpse into a future where robots could seamlessly integrate into daily life, taking over tasks that have long been the domain of humans.

The highlight of the evening was when Optimus engaged with attendees in real time, a moment that has since taken social media by storm. In a viral video, the robot is seen holding an eerily human-like conversation with a guest, who excitedly exclaimed, "It’s crazy, I’m talking to a robot!"

After initial pleasantries and casually discussing where Optimus is “from”, one attendee asked the robot: “What’s the hardest thing about being a robot?”

Optimus, staying true to its humanoid programming, quipped, "Trying to learn how to be as human as you guys are”, replete with pauses and gestures. The clip, shared by user @cb_doge, has garnered 26 million views and sparked widespread debate on the capabilities and implications of Tesla's latest advancement.

A conversation between Tesla Optimus bot and a human is the best thing youll see on the internet today.
pic.twitter.com/2M9UJPTTLX DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) October 11, 2024

One guest, Emmanuel Huna, even shared how he played a round of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" with an Optimus robot, highlighting the machine’s potential for not just labour, but light-hearted interaction. Optimus even said hi to Huna's wife on camera, after his request.

I just asked @Tesla Optimus to play rock, paper, scissors, and it did - check it out! pic.twitter.com/NrmEEA9R4MEmmanuel Huna (@ehuna) October 11, 2024

But the reactions to Optimus have been far from unanimous. While some praised the robot as a leap forward in technology, with one social media user stating that Tesla is "years ahead of any competition," others found the idea of chatty robots unsettling. “Do we really need robots that talk when human interaction is already being sidelined?” asked one critic on X.

Elon Musk, however, remains confident in his vision of a robot-enhanced world. “The Optimus will walk among you. You’ll be able to walk right up to them, and they will serve drinks,” Musk said at the event, hinting at how humanoids could soon become a staple in our lives.