Tesla engineer: People to "easily confuse" Optimus robots with humans What to know about new product

Tesla is signalling a dramatic shift in its long-term strategy, one that places humanoid robots ahead of its once-flagship luxury vehicles. This week, the company announced its plans to phase out production of the Model S and Model X in favour of manufacturing up to one million Optimus humanoid robots annually at its Fremont factory—a move that underscores Elon Musk’s growing conviction that robotics, not cars, will define Tesla’s future.

What has drawn particular attention is not just the scale of Tesla’s ambitions, but how closely the Optimus robot may resemble a human. During a recent earnings call, Tesla robotics engineer Ashok Elluswamy described the latest iteration in striking terms:

“It’s an awesome robot that minimises any differences… It looks like a human. People could easily be confused that it’s a human.” The comment has reignited debate about how far humanoid robotics could—and should—go in mimicking human appearance and behaviour, as highlighted in an article published by Geo News. 

The Optimus 3 robot is built on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, the same AI backbone used in the Model 3 and Model Y. Tesla says this shared architecture enables advanced perception, decision-making, and movement, allowing the robot to perform tasks in ways that increasingly blur the line between machine and human capability.

Musk has repeatedly framed Optimus as a solution to looming societal challenges, particularly those tied to ageing populations. He argues that humanoid robots could play a major role in elder care, offering physical assistance and companionship as demographic pressures strain healthcare systems worldwide. The prospect of robots operating in such intimate human settings has sparked both excitement and unease.

At present, Optimus still features a smooth, featureless face, falling short of the human likeness Musk and his engineers appear to be targeting. However, Tesla has made clear that realism—both physical and behavioural—is a long-term goal, alongside the ability to engage in meaningful interactions with people.

In its latest earnings report, Tesla said the third-generation Optimus, described as “meant for mass production,” will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2026. The company noted that the new version will feature “major upgrades from version 2.5, including our latest hand design.”

Preparations are already underway for the first production line, which Tesla expects to begin operating before the end of 2026. Long-term planning envisions an annual production capacity of one million robots.

Musk previously predicted Tesla would produce 5,000 Optimus units in 2025, a target that now appears unlikely to have been met. Still, his ambitions remain expansive: he has suggested Optimus could work not only in Tesla’s factories but also as home assistants—and even, eventually, as surgeons.

The rollout, however, has not been smooth. Optimus has faced setbacks, including teleoperation issues and the recent departure of Tesla’s head of robotics. The stakes are high. Much of Tesla’s future narrative—and Musk’s controversial $1 trillion pay package, which is tied to delivering at least one million robots—now rests on whether Optimus can move from bold vision to reliable, scalable reality.

By Nazrin Sadigova